Arrows and Scars
by redangel2463
Summary: After the Feudal Era, you would think Kagome would be prepared for anything. But nothing could have mentally prepared her for the zombie apocalypse and being stranded in Georgia with her brother. However, the Higurashi siblings luck changes when they meet a group at a rock quarry. Follow Kagome and Souta, through the story line of the Walking Dead.
1. A Living Nightmare

**Arrows and Scars**

 **AN: Hey everyone XD! This idea has been racking around my brain since season four of The Walking Dead and now I'm finally getting off my lazy butt and writing it down.**

 **Warning:**

 **The rating of this story *points to the rating* is 'M'. Which stands for mature audience only. Mainly for gory zombie apocalypse situations, colorful language and possible future lemon scenes. (That's right, I'm going there) This is your overall caution for the entire fic.**

 **This is also my first 'M' rated fic, so don't judge me too harshly.**

 **Things to Know:**

 **This fic follows The Walking Dead show on AMC.**

 **Inuyasha the Final Act DID NOT happen. At least not in the way we know...You'll get it when you read it.**

 **Kagome is twenty years old in this story and her brother will be twelve, the same age as Carl and Sophia.**

 **Note: Due to The Walking Dead being an uncompleted series, it makes it a little difficult for me to update at my usual once a week update pace, since I have no idea where the plot is going. That being said I've decided to only update this fic once...at the beginning of every month...Just let that sink in for a minute...Anyway, that's how it's going to be and unfortunately it's not going to change anytime soon.**

 **Well, that's about it for now. Now on with the show!**

Summary: After her time in the Feudal Era, you would think Kagome would be prepared for anything. But nothing could have mentally prepared her for a zombie apocalypse. Or being stranded in Georgia with her brother during said apocalypse. However, the group that the Higurashi siblings come across seem to be handling the situation well enough. Follow Kagome and Souta, through the story line of The Walking Dead.

 **Chapter Warning: Character Death. (AN: People dying in The Walking Dead? Who knew?)**

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and I don't own Walking Dead. *insert day dreaming sigh here* If only...*insert reality here* Anyway, no suing.

Chapter 1: A Living Nightmare

 _The sky was gray and cloudy._

 _The air held a slight chill as tiny rain droplets began to fall from the dark clouds._

 _A fit setting for the end of a battle that had taken place today._

 _Kagome let out a whimper at the horrific sight before her._

 _The smell of blood and burnt flesh stung her nose, which almost made her vomit._

 _Slowly, Kagome limped her wounded body over to the corpse that lied in the middle of the field. She felt as if there wasn't one part of her body that didn't get cut, bruised, or broken._

 _Still Kagome moved onward._

 _She had to see him._

"… _Inuyasha," Kagome whimpered, dropping to her knees beside the half demon that she was in love with for so long._

 _After a year of searching for the Shikon fragments, the Shikon Jewel was finally whole once again. And thanks to Shikon Shard hunting group's efforts, the Jewel's power had vanished for good._

 _After what felt like a never ending battle, Naraku was finally dead. The evil half demon had tried to fight Inuyasha and the others face to face, since he had the whole Shikon Jewel in his possession. However, he didn't suspect Kagome's ability to shoot an arrow and transport it to anywhere of her choosing. During the battle Kagome had shot at the Jewel, instantly purifying it and releasing it from Naraku's grasp._

 _After all the pain that had been inflicted and tears that had been shed, Inuyasha and his friend's fight was finally over…But at a terrible cost._

 _In a final attempt to avenge their fallen friend, Sango, Inuyasha attacked Naraku head on. By using the last of his strength in his attack with Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha struck Naraku down._

 _Unfortunately, Naraku didn't die before unleashing an attack of his own...Killing Inuyasha in the process._

 _Kagome ran her blood covered hand over her beloved Inuyasha's face, accidentally smearing the blood on his now cold cheek. Tears of sorrow began to run down her eyes as the rain started to fall harder around them._

 _The longer Kagome gazed at Inuyasha's fallen form, the more her body ran cold with grief._

 _In her anguish she screamed, "INUYASHA!"_

Kagome awoke from her deep sleep in a startle. 'Oh for God sakes,' she thought to herself in mild annoyance, 'Not again.'

She hated that nightmare...That memory.

It had been four years since that dreadful day.

The day that changed so many lives forever.

The survivors of that final battle against Naraku were herself, Shippo, Miroku, Kouga and Sesshōmaru. Rin and Jaken were far away from the fight. The survivors regrouped in Kaede's village, once the word had spread that the evil half demon was dead. Kikyo was absent during the battle, but once she heard that both halfblooded demons from her past were dead, she took her own life to join them in the next world.

Kagome remained in the Feudal Era for a few days after the fight, so she could recover from the injuries. After a long and heart filled good bye to her friends, who Kagome had grown to see as family, she left the Feudal Era forever.

After seeing her injuries after she returned home, Kagome's family took her to the hospital for her to heal completely. The Higurashi family had to lie about Kagome's current injuries, and her past ones, but luckily none of the doctors questioned their story.

Physically, Kagome had healed as much as the doctors had expected...But mentally, the young priestess wasn't the same after she returned home for good.

Kagome had fallen into a depression, and lost a lot of weight, making her look fragile and sickly. Kagome's family tried to help and support her as best they could, but there was only so much comfort they could give her.

How do you ease the pain of someone who watched their best friend and first love die in front of their eyes?

The young priestess had tried returning to her normal life, barley making it through middle school with a small impression of emotion. Many of Kagome's old school friends didn't speak to her much after a few months. They didn't understand what had happened to their friend to make her behavior change so much. So, they avoided speaking to Kagome all together, afraid that they would say the wrong thing to send her over the edge.

Things didn't get better for Kagome until a year after she had returned home, on the day she was cleaning the storage room. While going through some old boxes, Kagome found some dusty old scrolls that were written by her ancestor, named Miroku Higurashi. In denial that it was the same Miroku she knew and loved, Kagome read the scrolls, only to discover that her Miroku was indeed her ancestor. Once it clicked that she was related to that perverted monk, Kagome recalled the time when Miroku asked her to bare his child and all the times he groped her. She began to fall into fits of laughter realizing that her own relative had been making passes at her.

That was the first time Kagome had truly laughed or smiled since she had been home.

Kagome calmed down form her laughter, and continued to read the old scroll. Miroku had written down everything from his travels with their group and what had happened to him after the battle with Naraku. He expressed how difficult it was for him to move on and how things didn't seem to matter anymore after losing Sango. That all changed when Miroku met a woman named Nayomi, who he married and had children with years later.

" _Although I love Nayomi dearly, the love I have for Sango can never be replaced. My beautiful demon slayer will always be in my heart. Thinking of Sango hurts sometimes, but I know that she would want me to live. And to find happiness again."_

Kagome read Miroku's words over and over again. Even with the hundreds of years between them, Miroku's wisdom still managed to reach her.

'If he could find a way to move on from the past…Maybe I can too,' Kagome thought to herself.

That's when Kagome made herself a promise: She will live, with the memory of her best friends, to the fullest.

Little by little Kagome kept true to her word and tried to find the will to live again. She regained the weight she had lost, and focused on getting her education to make her family proud.

Kun-lun, Kagome's mother, was thrilled to see 'life' in her daughter again. She was so proud of Kagome when she finished school and encouraged her to follow her dream and passions.

It turns out, Kagome's dream was to become a writer.

Writing stories, many of them inspired by her own past adventures, led Kagome's way into a respectable University and possible future career. 'Just because I'm no longer mourning my past, doesn't mean I need to forget what happened,' she reasoned when she began to write her memories down on paper.

Unfortunately in doing so, Kagome's devastating memories occasionally re-surfaced.

Just like today.

Sitting up from the motel bed, Kagome lightly stretched her muscles before slipping out of the covers, trying not to wake up her mother and brother.

But she had failed in her task.

"Kagome?" Kun-lun whispered as she awoke form her daughter's movements, before glancing at the clock next to her bed. "Sweetheart, its six thirty in the morning. Are you alright?" she asked with worry.

The priestess looked at her mother and gave a small smile that did not reach her eyes, "I'm okay, Mama," she said trying to sound assuring.

Unfortunately, her act didn't get past her mother. "You had another nightmare didn't you," Kun-lun concluded, quietly getting out of bed. Both of the women did not want to wake up Souta.

Kagome gave a small nod in reply. She never could lie very well. The priestess didn't know why she thought she could with her own mother.

Kun-lun frowned as she walked up to her daughter and gave her a small hug. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Kagome shook her head as she hugged her mother back, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," she assured her mother.

Kun-lun let out a sigh before pulling back to kiss her daughters forehead, "I'm your mother. It's my job to worry about you," she said simply, making Kagome smile.

"Well you can take a five minute break for now," the priestess teased before she made a small frown. "Besides, you have enough concerns as it is. I know you're still upset about Uncle Jason passing away."

Jason was Kagome's uncle and Kun-lun's brother-in-law, who had passed away quietly in his sleep a few days ago. Kun-lun's little sister Kisa met Jason, who was an American, when he was studying abroad in Japan. They fell deeply in love and married each other in less than a year of meeting. Shortly after, Kisa moved in with Jason in his home town in Georgia, where they had lived happily together. In time, the Higurashis learned how to speak English for Jason, just like he learned how to speak Japanese for Kisa. Both parties had become fluent in both languages.

Unfortunately, Kisa passed away in a terrible car accident a few months ago. Jason was so devastated after losing his beloved wife that he eventually lost the will to live.

'He died from a wounded heart,' Kagome thought, having felt the same way when she lost Inuyasha. It frightened her to think that she could have easily been taken away from her family like her uncle.

Kun-lun loved Kisa and Jason dearly, and immediately flew herself and children to United States' Georgia for her brother-in-laws funeral that was held yesterday.

Kun-lun's breath caught when Kagome mentioned Jason and tried to hold back her tears, "I'm going to miss him...Jason was such a good man," she whimpered.

Kagome nodded in agreement, "I'm going to miss him too," she told her mother, as she tried to regain herself. "Why don't you stay here and rest. I'll go and get us some breakfast, since our flight doesn't leave till later today," Kagome suggested.

Kun-lun nodded in appreciation, "Thank you, Sweetheart."

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"Yes," Kun-lun said into her cell phone a few hours later. This was the third airport she had called today since their flight had been canceled. "Thank you very much," she said before hanging up, "For absolutely nothing!" she yelled at the phone in frustration.

"What's going on?" Souta asked as he pulled his gaze away from the television, hearing is mother's irritation.

Kagome looked up from writing in her notebook to hear what her mother had to say.

"They have no flights leaving either," Kun-lun told them.

"Ah man," Souta whined, "But I want to go home now."

Kun-lun sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration, "I know, honey, I know. But there's nothing I can do. I called two other airlines but all flights have been delayed until further notice."

Kagome raised a brow, "All of them?" the priestess questioned. 'That's strange,' she thought to herself, 'What in the world could have caused them to do that?' Kagome looked over to her brother's pouting face and rolled her eyes. "Look on the bright side, Souta. You get a few extra days off school."

Souta's face brighten at the idea, "I didn't think about that. Sweet!"

Kun-lun chuckled lightly at her son's delight, but couldn't help feeling that something wasn't right.

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It had been one full week since the Higurashi's had been stranded in Georgia. Luckily, Kun-lun had brought some extra money with her, just in case something happened, allowing them to stay in the motel for a little longer.

The Higurashi's didn't see their delayed stay as too much of a nuisance.

However, there were a lot of police cars, fire truck, and ambulance sirens that have been going off endlessly though out the last few days and nights.

The television news ran irrational stories about people going crazy and attacking everyone they see.

Kun-lun and Kagome continuously tried calling everyone they knew, both in Japan and in America, to see if they could find out what was going on. Unfortunately all calls were disconnected, making it impossible to find out what was really going on outside.

"Nothing," Kagome told her mother hanging up her cell phone, "I can't get a hold of any of my friends from school...What do we do, now?"

"Mama," Souta muttered as he leaned in closer to his mother on the bed, starting to get a little freaked out by this whole situation.

Kun-lun rubbed his arm affectionately, "It'll be alright, honey."

Suddenly, a banging on the door startled the Higurashi family.

"Help me!" a young woman screamed, "Please, let me in! Help me!"

Kun-lun gestured for Kagome to go over to Souta, which she immediately did. Their mother looked through the key hole of their motel room door and saw a middle aged red haired woman hold her arm. Kun-lun could see blood seeping through the woman's fingers. "Oh my goodness," Kun-lun said alarmed as she unlocked the door and opened it, "Come in. Come in," she urged the red head.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," the woman said gratefully as she wept. Kagome ran to the back to grab some motel towels and place them over the woman's wound. "I've been so scared. It's insane out there."

"What happened to you?" Kagome asked the woman, wanting to know what led to this woman's wound.

It took a moment for the woman to calm down and explain what happened, "I was walking down the street by my house, and this nutcase came over and bit me."

"Bit you?" Kun-lun questioned.

"Yes," the woman nodded, "He tried to bite me again but I pushed him off and ran away. I ran to the hospital but there were these military guys taking over the place. And with all the craziness out there, I didn't know where to go."

"Freaky," Souta said as he stood in the corner of the room, not liking the sight of the blood.

Kagome continued to work on the woman's arm, making a bandage by tearing some pillow cases, as her mother continued to get the woman's story of what happened.

But something was wrong.

No matter what she tired, Kagome couldn't get the woman's wound to stop bleeding. And what was even stranger was her holy powers were beginning to prickle ever so slightly, as if it was warning her of upcoming danger.

Shaking off the sensation, the priestess finished binding the woman's arm. "There you go. That should help."

Kun-lun sat next to the young woman, "Why don't you stay with us until things settle down. It wouldn't be good to be out in your condition."

"Thank you so much," the woman said, looking slightly paler than before.

The next few hours were spent either talking or trying to shake off the cabin fever of being inside a small cramped room.

When it was time to go to sleep, Kun-lun and Souta were going to share one of the beds while Kagome offered to sleep on the floor so the woman could have a comfortable bed to sleep in.

The woman was grateful, feeling very light headed and needing to lay down.

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Unknown by the Higurashi family, the red haired woman was sweating ferociously throughout the night, lightly groaning in pain as her wound got worse.

She was growing weak from the blood loss.

And from the lingering infection that had yet to present itself.

The woman grunted one last time as she slept before the infection of the bite mark caused her untimely death.

Over the next few hours, the unknown virus started spreading fast throughout the dead woman's body.

Suddenly, without any warning, the dead woman opened her eyes. She growled as she got up from the bed, and slowly walked over to the unexpected Kun-lun that she saw sleeping soundly next to Souta.

The dead red haired woman was hungry.

She needed to feed.

And she choose to feed on the closest person to her.

The dead woman immediately grabbed onto Kun-lun and bit into her neck, tearing off her flesh to sustain her ravines hunger.

Kun-lun screamed out in pain as the dead woman took a piece of her neck, waking up Souta and Kagome.

"Mama!" the Higurashi siblings screamed in union as they took in the sight before them.

The dead woman paid no attention to the Higurashi children, too invested in her current meal. She took another bite out of Kun-lun, this time in her belly. Tearing Kun-lun apart to feast on her insides.

Souta froze in place and instantly paled at the horrid sight of his mother being eaten in front of him.

Kagome was also terrified of what was happening, but was still able to react. The priestess quickly yanked her brother out of bed and pushed him into a corner of the room, away from the dead woman, before going back to push the redhead away from her mother. "Get away from her!" she yelled at the redhead.

The dead woman stumbled to the ground before she slowly got back up.

This time, her new target was for the young Asian woman.

Kun-lun was gasping for what little life she had left before glancing over at her daughter and then her son. 'My babies,' were her only thoughts before she began to chock to death on her own blood.

Kagome shoved the dead red haired woman again before she spin kicked the woman hard in the head, wanting to knock her down. She succeeded, and was also able to hit the dead woman's head so hard that it came clean off her body. Kagome gasped, not knowing that her attack held that much fatal force.

But none of that mattered after she looked at the discarded head.

The head was still alive.

This woman, this thing, was still living even though the head was no longer connected to its body.

Souta's eyes winded at the discarded head.

It looked like the undead head wanted to move towards him.

Even without a body it still wanted to feed.

Kagome looked at the head in disgust and wanted to put the thing out of its misery. She grabbed the motel lamp, walked over to the head, and smashed it as hard as she could, causing the bone of the skull to stab its brain. Kagome glanced quickly over at the woman's dead body to make sure it was really dead.

It didn't move.

It was over now.

Souta slowly made his way back over to his dead mother. Tears flowing down his face, "Mama!" he cried out for his mother to awaken, "MAMA!"

Kagome walked over to Souta, finally allowing to let her emotions go, as placed her hand on his back, "Souta," she whimpered just as upset.

The boy quickly turned and buried his face in his sister's chest in despair, crying his eyes out as he did so. Kagome embraced him back, allowing her own tears to fall down her face. 'What do we do now?' she thought in despair.

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It had been two weeks since that terrible night.

After the attack in the motel, Kagome and Souta wrapped up their mother's body in a thick blanket and carried her into the car they rented for their trip. That's when they learned that there were more of those undead creatures out there. The siblings were attacked more than once on the way to the woods, barley managing to survive the living dead with every encounter.

They drove deep into the woods and gave their mother the proper burial that she deserved. Arranging a funeral was a preposterous idea with people dying and then coming back as the living dead. So the two Higurashi children gave their mother a final goodbye and hoped to see her again in heaven one day.

Afterwards, Kagome had to consider what she and her brother were going to do now. It was obvious that whatever was going on, things were probably going to get worse before they got better. 'I need to protect Souta,' Kagome told herself and tapped into her survival skills that she gained in her adventures in the Feudal Era.

Excluding the cloths they brought for their trip, the siblings had no supplies or weapons that would help defend themselves.

So, Kagome took her brother in their rental car and found the closest general store to stock up on supplies.

Preserved food, matches, a first aid kit, and all the water that she and Souta could carry.

The siblings caught a lucky break when they came across a sporting goods store and found some weapons. Kagome was able to salvage a 54" silver OMP Explorer 2.0 Recurve Bow along with two dozen arrows, which helped them on the road so far. It had a different feel then Kagome's long bow back in Japan, but she quickly got used to it. She was also able to find two hunting knives for her and Souta, and even some camping gear.

The first week on the road was the hardest. Kagome made sure to stay on country back roads, having learned that the highways were jammed, until they ran out of gas on day three. There wasn't any nearby cars or gas station for miles, so the siblings made a small camp with the rental car. They pushed the seats down so they would have room to sleep and store their food supplies, so critters and bugs wouldn't get to them. Kagome used some big blankets and some shirts to block the windows of the car so the undead creatures wouldn't see them inside. 'If they don't see or hear you, they move along,' Kagome noted from their past experiences.

The young priestess also learned an important, and a rather annoying, inconvenience about these undead creatures.

Kagome's holy powers couldn't sense them.

These living dead creatures, wherever they came from, were not demonic.

And as far as Kagome could tell, they also didn't have living souls.

Either way, Kagome had no way of sensing if one of those undead creatures were nearby.

She could purify the creatures to ash with her sacred arrow, but that would also destroy her arrows, which were in short supply. So Kagome had to be extra careful and hit these undead creatures in the head or else Souta would be in danger.

'Either way, they're in the pain in the ass to kill,' she thought in annoyance.

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Today, Kagome awoke from a dreamless sleep inside the car, with Souta snuggling closely at her side. She gave a small smile at his innocent action, which he would probably be embarrassed about when he woke up. Her sweet little brother may try and act tough, but he's still just a young boy.

Kagome yawned, still feeling completely exhausted, before she lifted her head to look over at their remaining supplies. 'We're running low on water,' she noticed while making a mental note to get more, 'And we should try to find some more clothes for when the weather starts to change.'

The priestess didn't like or want to leave Souta and their supplies alone, but sometimes she occasionally had to leave their camp to hunt for food. 'Thank you, Inuyasha,' she thanked him in her mind. The half demon had shown Kagome how to hunt a few times, even though she found killing and skinning animals completely disgusting at the time. 'Even when he's gone, he protects me,' she thought gratefully.

"Hey, look over here," a male's voice suddenly broke Kagome out of her thoughts. She lowered herself from the covered windows, hoping that the person out there didn't hear her movement.

"What do you say, man?" said another man's voice, "Think whoever's camping here will be back any time soon?"

Souta grunted ever so slightly by the noises going on outside. Kagome quickly put a finger to her mouth to shush him from making any further noise.

Souta, who was now fully awake, looked at his sister wide eyed. 'What's going on?' he wondered before hearing the movement from people standing by the car outside. 'Maybe they'll go away if they don't hear us,' he hoped.

But it was too late.

"Did you hear that?" the second man asked his friend.

'Damn it,' Kagome mentally cursed.

"The car," the first man pointed out.

"Hello?" the second man called into the car as he tapped on one of the windows, which made Souta squirm close to his sister.

"Dude stop," the first man warned, "What if it's a Walker?"

The second man sighed, "Only one way to find out."

Souta turned his gaze to his sister, obviously frightened. Kagome gave her brother an assuring look before she slowly lifted herself up to grab her bow and arrow. And just as slowly, she aimed it towards the door, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Ready, man?" the second man asked the first.

"Ready," the first man assured.

The back car door opened.

Kagome drew her bow string further back, "Stay back!" she warned the two men.

One of them was a young Asian man, who looked only a few years older than her. The other was an African American middle aged man. The Asian man was holding an aluminum bat, ready to attack, just in case someone or something came out of the car.

"Whoa whoa," the African American man held up his hands in surrender once he saw the arrow, "Easy."

"Drop the bat!" Kagome ordered the Asian man, as she exited the car and kept the arrow aimed at his friend. Souta backed into the edge of the car, away from the two men.

The Asian man immediately acted to Kagome's request and dropped the bat, not wanting him or his friend to get shot with and arrow. "Okay okay," he told her, holding his hands up in surrender like his friend.

"We're sorry," the African American man told her, "We didn't know there were living people inside the car. We thought you were Walkers?"

Kagome raised a brow at the term.

"You know, the dead people that are walking around," the Asian man explained, "Look, um, let's start over here. My name's Glenn," he gestured to himself before pointing to his friend, "And this is T-Dog."

The man named T-Dog gave her a friendly way hello, but he priestess didn't ease the pull of her bow.

"Wait a minute. Are you-Are you both out here by yourselves?" T-Dog asked with genuine concern, once he noticed that it was just Kagome and her brother. 'She looks like she's younger then Glenn,' he thought, 'And she has a kid with her. How the hell are they surviving out here?'

Glenn swallowed nervously as he pointed to the other side of the woods, "We-we have a camp a few miles from here in a quarry," he explained to Kagome, "There's lots of people in our group. And there are little kids there too. You'd be safe if you came with us, instead of being out here on your own. There's a lot more safety in numbers these days," he said, hoping she'd listen to him.

Kagome tapped into her holy powers to sense the men's souls.

Neither of them held malice or ill intent.

After sensing the genuine feelings in their souls, Kagome wanted to trust these men, but wasn't so hasty in making a decision about their offer. She glanced over at Souta, who gathered the courage to get closer to the car's open back door. 'More people for us to be around...And they have kids Souta could be friends with...Is this our best chance of survival?' the priestess pondered to herself before looking back at the men. 'But I can tell these are good men.'

The priestess slowly retreated her bow and put the arrow away, "How many people do you have?" she asked Glenn and T-Dog.

"A lot," Glenn answered truthfully, letting out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "And we have supplies and weapons for protection too. The quarry is close to Atlanta. We set it up for when the world gets better and they come to rescue people."

Kagome nodded in understanding, before looking over to her brother, "What do you think?" she asked him. The priestess didn't want to make a final decision like this without Souta's opinion first. "Do you want us to go with them?"

Souta looked at the two men, then glanced around their small camp, then back to his sister. He could see the tiredness in Kagome's eyes from the nights when she stayed up late to make sure that they were safe from the living dead. She had been there to protect him all this time and he knew that it was starting to take its toll on her.

After a minute of silence, Souta finally nodded yes.

"Great," Glenn said excited, glad that they were helping more people.

After carrying what supplies Kagome and Souta had in their car to T-Dog's van, the four of them made their way to the Quarry.

"So," Glenn said from the passenger seat of the van, turning around to look at Kagome and Souta. "Where are you both from?" he asked, knowing they couldn't have lived in Georgia for long. The Higurashi siblings may have spoken English well, but they still had noticeable accents.

"Tokyo," Kagome answered, "We came to Georgia for my uncle's funeral...That's when everything started."

"That's rough," T-Dog replied as he drove, "I'm sorry about your uncle."

Kagome nodded in thanks.

"So, you've both been alone all this time?" Glenn asked, not being able to imagine such a thing. From the very beginning, he started out in a group. 'Safety in numbers,' he thought, repeating his earlier statement.

"We handled ourselves just fine," Kagome assured him, "It's what we had to do."

Souta lowered into his sister's side, not really wanting to hear anymore talking.

Glenn noticed the movement and smiled at the boy, "You okay, kid?" he asked, realizing the boy hadn't spoken up yet.

Souta didn't respond.

Kagome wrapped her arm around brother's body and kissed the top of his head. "Why don't you close your eyes for a while," she suggested to him. Souta looked up at his sister with slight worry, "I'll be here," she promised him.

With that, Souta closed his eyes and a few minutes later he fell asleep.

"Is your brother alright?" T-Dog asked her, noticing the boy hadn't spoken once since they met.

Kagome shook her head, "No...Souta hasn't uttered a word since he saw our mother being killed by a...a Walker. It came at her and," she began to say but couldn't finish her sentence. The priestess knew that her brother was grieving and that she shouldn't force him to speak until he was ready. 'But he may have to with more people around though.'

Luckily, Glenn and T-Dog had caught on what Kagome had tried to say. They mentally winced at the thought of seeing a loved one die like that.

"Oh man," T-Dog muttered sympathetically.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Glenn told her.

Kagome wiped a silent tear that went down her face. "Me too."

The rest of the ride was filled with silence until they reached the Quarry.

"Welcome back," a man with black hair greeted Glenn and T-Dog. He then glared slightly at Kagome and Souta when they came out of the van. "Who are these two?" he gestured to the young woman and child.

"This is Kagome and Souta," Glenn introduced, "We found them when we went out scavenging. Kagome, this is Shane. He was a police officer before all of this."

Kagome walked up to Shane, and offered her hand in greeting, "Nice to meet you."

Shane gave a half smile and grabbed her hand to shake, "Welcome to our camp."

After introducing herself and her brother to Shane, Kagome was led to a woman named Lori, who seemed to be very close to the police officer. Lori had a son named Carl, who was the same age as Souta. Even though Souta still didn't speak, Carl was happy to have another friend at camp.

The next group of people she met was the Morales family. Morales and his wife Miranda had two children named Eliza and Louis. They were a sweet family and were very grateful for whenever the group helped their family survive.

The next person she met was Dale. An elderly man who had been traveling across the country in his RV when things went bad. He often took watch on top of his RV, making sure that no Walkers got too close to camp. Dale often spoke to Andrea and Amy, two sisters that he met on the high way to Atlanta. The two sisters had a pretty big age gap between them, but Kagome could tell that both sister's loved each other very much.

Kagome met another family named the Peletiers'. Mrs. Peletier, Carol, was a very nice woman, although she was a tad quiet. Throughout the day, the priestess couldn't help but notice how whenever Carol spoke to anyone, she would quickly look over her shoulder to make sure her husband, Ed, wasn't around. When Kagome spoke to Ed for the first time, he told her to 'get lost.' He got even more aggressive at her when she was caught chatting with Carol and their daughter, Sophia. Immediately, Kagome detested the man. Not because of what he had said and done, but because of the wickedness she could sense in his soul. Even with Ed's warning, Kagome refused to stay away from Carol and Sophia, whose souls were genuinely good.

Kagome also met a woman named Jacqui, who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and a man named Jim, who kept mostly to himself.

'Wow, Glenn hadn't been kidding when he said there were a lot of people,' Kagome thought to herself, 'I haven't even met everyone yet.' There were more families scattered around the campsite, including a set of brothers who hunted meat for the camp.

After taking it all in, Kagome wondered if this really was the right decision.

But one look at Souta playing with Carl and Sophia made her smile.

This was what they needed.

People.

It was the only way the Higurashi siblings were going to survive.

 **Yep, a lot of stuff happening. And it's only chapter one. I'm trying not to use the term 'walking dead', but it's really hard. Anyway, what do you guys think so far? Good? Bad? I want to know. Next time: Enter the Dixions and the Walking Dead series begins.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	2. Scratched Up China Doll

**Arrows and Scars**

Wow! So much love and support! Thank you so much Kuroneko-sama95, Blue Fairy Girl, genious 7, LucienLachance, xwolfpupx, Provider of odd things, HellCat4Life, GreenHoneyTea, NeonX-sama, sammy-hell-bitch, Xyllara, RebornRose1992, daisynaruto909, Corrosionpanda, silverflamingkitsune, cutipieeva, HolyButterBalls, CrazyNovelist, MariMart, Regin, hetero-bi, Robion the science freak, ADL1, Goddess of Music-Thumper, JustLilNay, PandaBear95, Gairu-chan, Blood-Raven713, linx007, SphereShadow, Nightwing1493, Bunnie.863, art-is-a-bang-yeah, Tsukiyomi Cecilia, slightlycrazy'nneedofsaving, Lorelei evans, and McBeelz for following and/or favoriting me or this fic. Plus a huge shout out to GreenHoneyTea, RebornRose1992, daisynaruto909, Guest (1), CK (Guest), AnimeAngel240, linx007 for your awesome reviews.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Inuyasha or the Walking Dead unfortunately. So, you know, no suing please.

Chapter Two: Scratched Up China Doll

The morning light hit Kagome's eyes as she woke up in a large green tent she shared with Souta.

It had been over a month since the young priestess and her brother began staying at the Quarry.

Kagome sat up from her sleeping bag, wiped last night's sleep from her eyes and glance over at her brother, who was still sound asleep. Taking advantage of the privacy, she quickly dressed in into a pair of blue jeans, gray hiking boots, and a dark red tank top. Kagome also slipped on a gray long sleeved over shirt, and put her hair up in a high ponytail.

The last thing the young priestess put on was a necklace that held a clear spherical jewel at the end.

The hollow remains of the Shikon no Tama.

Kagome often asked herself why she kept the trinket with her, since it no longer had any power. 'I guess it's a reminder of how far I've come,' she concluded to herself.

After she dressed, Kagome woke up Souta so he could get dressed and they both could start their day. Her brother put on a pair blue jeans, white sneakers, and a navy blue shirt today.

The Higurashi siblings exited their tent and made their way over to Lori, who was teaching the kids out of some school books that they scavenged on a run a few weeks ago. Reading, writing and math was something the mothers of the camp desperately wanted their children to keep track with.

"Good morning Kagome," Lori greeted the priestess, as she helped her son with his school work. "Good morning Souta," she said smiling at the little boy. The camp members had adjusted to Souta silence, and never pressured him to speak out of respect of Kagome's wishes.

"Good morning, Mrs. Grimes," Kagome greeted the woman, "Hey Carl."

The young Grimes smiled at her, "Morning Kagome."

"And sweetie, please call me Lori," she told the priestess.

Kagome mentally cursed herself, "Sorry. It's a habit. Our mother made sure we kept our manners wherever we go."

Lori chuckled, "Well she taught you right."

Souta frowned slightly at the mention of his mother.

"You ready to do some math problems, Souta?" Lori asked him. The Higurashi boy's frown immediately turned sour and shook his head vigorously. Carl laughed at his friend's actions, feeling the exact same way. "Nuh uh," Lori shook her head in disapproval, "None of that."

Souta pouted as he sat down and began working in his math workbook.

Kagome ruffled her brother's head, "Behave yourself for Lori. I'm going to go out for a little while but I'll be close by, alright?"

Souta nodded to his sister before he continued working.

Kagome left him to make her rounds around the camp. Every day, after she left Souta to his lessons, the priestess would greet everyone with a good morning and offered her assistance when a person needed help with chores. Afterwards, she would walk into the woods to look for herbs and plants, medicinal or edible, for the camp. Shane had assigned her the job after she helped Eliza with a really bad knee scrap and found healing herbs to disinfect the wound. Kagome was happy to help and was glad she could be useful to the group.

After Kagome gathered the herbs and plants for the day, she headed back to camp to help cook lunch.

This meant she had to stop by a certain tent that was occupied by two men.

"Well lookie here, Lil' brother," Merle Dixon nudged his brother as he exited the tent. Daryl Dixon was already outside the tent, sharpening his hunting knife. The young Dixon looked at Kagome for a moment before going back to his task. "The China Doll is back," the oldest Dixon stated in approval. Merle started calling Kagome 'China Doll' since her eyes were a wide and unique blue color that he'd only seen on dolls in stores.

Kagome didn't mind the obviously racist nickname, having being called a lot worse in the past. 'And at least he's not grabbing my ass or man handling me to be his woman,' she thought gratefully before greeting the oldest Dixon with a polite smile.

"Hello Merle," Kagome greeted before looking at the youngest Dixon, "Hey Daryl." The young hunter gave her nod in acknowledgment, but didn't look away from his task. Daryl didn't really talk much, but he was somewhat nice to Kagome. He didn't really interact much with anyone else at camp. 'I guess I wouldn't either if people looked down on me too,' Kagome thought to herself.

From day one, everyone at camp had warned Kagome to stay away from the Dixons. She understood their reasons: Merle was rude and obviously racist. And while Daryl was quiet, he followed his brother's example in vulgarity.

However, Kagome could see the good qualities in the Dixon men and the goodness in their souls.

It was Merle's idea to put the 'alarm system' that was around camp. A line of tin cans and metal objects hanging on a string that would make noise if they were touched by Walkers.

Daryl helped the camp by hunting in the woods and brought back a variety of meat.

"Any luck out there today?" Kagome asked, referring to their hunting in the woods.

"Me and Merle caught three rabbits. Brought half a dozen squirrel'," Daryl finally spoke, before putting down his knife and showing her his kill, already skinned and ready for cooking. "Gonna have to go deeper in the woods tomorrow. Find a deer if we're lucky."

Kagome nodded, "We'll make do with this for now. Thank you so much," she said in appreciation. The priestess disliked the fact that the camp members didn't really acknowledge or thank the Dixons for what they do, so she made sure to express her gratitude as often as possible. "Is there anything I can do for the both of you? I'm doing laundry tomorrow, I could do yours if you want?"

Merle gave an amused and flirtatious smile, "Really want to get in Ol' Merle's pants don't ya, China Doll?"

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Shut up, Merle."

Instead of being offended, Kagome gave a sarcastic snap of her fingers, "Darn. You found out my master plan," she said with mock disappointment.

"Kagome," Amy called out as she walked up to her with Souta, Carl, Sophia, Eliza and Louis in tow. "The kids and are going to go for a swim in the lake. Do you want to come?" asked the young blond woman.

Kagome gave a small look of longing, since she loved to swim. But it only lasted a moment. 'I don't want Amy or anyone else to see them,' the priestess thought to herself, as she instinctively rubbed the left side of her body and arm with her right hand.

Instead, Kagome shook her head in response, "No, that's okay."

Merle looked at Amy in amusement, since she looked very uncomfortable being close to him and Daryl. "Ain't ya gonna give your Ol' Pal Merle an invite, Goldie Locks?"

Amy gave him a look of disgust, making the oldest Dixon chuckle.

Sophia frowned at Kagome after she refused the offer, since really liked the priestess. "Please Kagome, come with us," the little girl begged.

The priestess shook her head again, "I'm sorry Sophia. I can't" she replied, hating seeing the disappointed look on the children's faces. "But how about after dinner, I'll tell another story to make it up to all of you." The kid's eyes immediately brightened as they nodded in agreement. Souta went over to hug his sister good bye. Kagome kissed the top of his head, "Go have fun. Love you," she told him.

"Your brother's still a little chatter box I see," Merle said sarcastically after Amy and the children left.

Kagome sighed in disappointment, "I'm worried...But I have to be patient with him," the priestess replied. "Anyway, just gather your dirty cloths tonight and I'll come for it in the morning."

"Appreciate that, China Doll," Merle told her with a hint of respect. The oldest Dixon only showed such kindness to those he deemed worthy of it. Kagome had earned it from him after her first few weeks at the camp. She treated everyone the same, and she never complained about doing any of the hard work around camp like some of the other survivors had done. 'Not bad with that bow of hers either,' he added to himself, having witnessed Kagome's skills when she went hunting with him once.

"Thanks," Daryl mumbled to her before he reached for his crossbow.

Kagome looked at the weapon in fascination, "One of these days you're going to have to teach me how to use that."

Daryl snorted, "I don't have to 'do' anythin'," he replied as he stated cleaning the bolts of animal blood.

Kagome face fell, "Well then. I guess I don't have to 'do' your laundry then," she threatened.

Merle smirked in amusement, "She's got you there, Darlyina."

The youngest Dixon glared at his brother, hating that nick name. "It's an empty threat. And she knows it," he remarked simply. Daryl was a very observant person, and he had watched everyone at this camp closely. And from what he's seen, the Asian woman would never hesitate to give a helping hand. He also observed that she never asked for anything in return.

Kagome's frown changed to a small smile, "You better be lucky I'm nice, mister," she playfully scolded as she gathered the rabbits and squirrel. "Thanks again for the meat," she told Daryl before walking off to season and cook the freshly caught hunt.

Shane watched Kagome as she made herself comfortable near the camp fire next to Jacqui, before he glared at the Dixons. He often second guessed himself when he allowed the redneck's to enter their camp. Lori often voiced how uncomfortable she was for having the Dixons here, but Shane insisted that they needed their hunting skills. 'But that doesn't mean the others need to get cozy with those Dixons,' Shane thought to himself as he strutted over to the campfire. "Afternoon ladies," he greeted, "How's it going?"

"Hello Shane," Jacqui greeted.

Kagome saw the look in Shane's eyes and sighed. She knew what he was thinking, having had this conversation with him before...Many times before actually. "Nothing happened with the Dixons, Shane," she stated up front.

Shane rubbed the back of his head, trying to act casual but the strictness in his voice was noted, "They make the other campers uneasy."

"And they protect and feed us too," Kagome argued, "Don't hear people complain much about that. Or show any appreciation"

Shane huffed through his nose at the stubborn woman, "Just be careful around them, alright?"

Kagome rolled her eyes but still nodded, just so Shane would go away. As much as she appreciated the former police officer's generosity of letting her and Souta stay at their camp, he was very controlling.

Jacqui gave Kagome a small scornful look, "He's just worried about you, honey."

"I know," she replied as she went back to cooking the rabbits. "And I'm grateful for him and all of you. But Shane doesn't have to worry about the Dixons. They're rude but theirs good in them if you look hard enough."

Jacqui looked skeptical but then started to smile, "Your mother must have been very proud of you."

Kagome looked up at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You see the good in everyone, honey," she explained, "Not a lot of people can do that."

Kagome smiled lightly at the compliment.

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"I don't think it's a good idea," Glenn expressed to Shane later that night. Everyone was gathered at the campfire. Kagome sat next Amy with Souta snuggled at her other side.

Shane shook his head, "It's starting to get too dangerous to be out there on your own."

"He's got a point," Dale expressed his concern, "You did run into trouble the last time."

Glenn was in charge of salvaging things in and out of Atlanta. The city had become infested with thousands of Walkers. Usually, he would be able to slip in and out of the city with no problem. But on his last run a few days ago, Glenn had been seen by over ten Walkers. He managed to get away before anything happened, but he lost all the canned goods and supplies that he had found that day. "I came back didn't I," Glenn argued, "More people would just draw more attention."

Merle, who was leaning against a tree away from the group, disagreed, "More eyes wouldn't hurt out there, Chinaman."

Glenn looked over at the hunter hesitantly, "I'm Korean."

Merle snorted in reply.

Kagome gave him a scornful glare, "Merle," she warned him with her tone to behave.

"No one goes out on their own anymore," Shane decreed.

Glenn sighed at being over ruled, "Fine. Who's gonna come with me?"

"I'll go," Andrea offered, wanting to be more useful around the camp.

"Me too," T-Dog volunteered.

Kagome thought about volunteering but one look at Souta made her change her mind. 'I don't know how he'd handle me being so far away.'

Jacqui volunteered shortly after T-Dog, followed by Morales and Merle. Everyone was surprised when the oldest Dixon had volunteered, and looked at him suspiciously.

"Th-thanks," Glenn said to Merle, wondering what his ulterior motives could be.

The hunter gave a plotting smile in the dark.

Eliza, who was unaware of the adult's uneasiness, looked over at Kagome in excitement. "Could you tell us a story now, Kagome?" she asked eagerly.

The adults looked from what they were doing to the priestess. Telling stories around a camp fire was one of the few things that people still found normal, and they found Kagome's stories were very captivating.

"Umm," Kagome mumbled pondering, "What kind of story would you like to hear?" she asked all the children.

"Another cool one," Carl said thrillingly "Like the one with the evil spider demon."

"No," Sophia protested, "I don't like that story. That spider demon was too scary."

Kagome gave a half smile, "Yes. The spider demon scares me too...But, not all demons are scary or even evil."

All of the adults looked surprised by Kagome's statement.

Louis tilted his head in innocent confusion, "They aren't?"

"Nope. Right Souta?" Kagome asked her brother who nodded yes. "In fact, my favorite story is the love story between a demon and a Japanese noble woman."

Sophia's eyes lit up with joy, "Could you tell it to us?" One look from Carol made the little girl remember her manners, "May you please tell it to us?"

Everyone who was interested, adults included, nodded in anticipation.

"Alright then. Once upon a time," Kagome began, "There was a noble family that had a daughter named Izayoi, who was the most beautiful girl in all the land. She was so fair, that her parents were overly protective of her, and had an escort at Izayoi's side at all times. But one day, Izayoi decided that she would explore the world on her own and snuck out of her house without any escorts or guards. Sadly, Izayoi quickly became lost in the woods."

Merle snorted, "Typical," he muttered, earning him a few shushes from the children.

"The noble girl was frightened when she realized she lost her way," Kagome continued, "Izayoi knew that demons lived in the woods, and they would kill and eat her if she wasn't careful. And she was right. A bear demon had found Izayoi and began to chase her." Sophia and Eliza gasped in terror for the noble girl. "Izayoi ran as fast as she could through the woods but the bear demon caught up to her. She knew she was going to die and screamed out in fear...Then suddenly, Izayoi was saved. By another demon, who was known across the land as the great dog general, Inu no Tashio." Everyone blinked in surprise, "He had long silver hair with golden eyes and markings on his face. And he was, without a doubt, the most handsome being that Izayoi had ever seen."

Amy raised a brow, "Demons can be good-looking?"

"Yes," Kagome answered, "Some of the most powerful demons in existence are the ones that can masquerade themselves as humans."

"Cool," Carl said enthusiastically, making Souta chuckle.

Kagome smiled at her brother before she continued, "After the Inu no Tashio killed the gluttonous bear demon, he turned to Izayoi. He didn't say a word. All he did was stare at the human girl in front of him. Before Izayoi could thank the Inu no Tashio, he vanished back into the woods, leaving the noble girl bewildered. For many years, ever since that first night, Izayoi would continue to sneak away from her home, hoping to catch a glimpse of the demon that had saved her life. But she could never find him...One day, Izayoi's parents had announced that they had arranged for her to marry a noble man named Takemaru. Although he was a man of wealth and nobility, Izayoi knew she could never truly love Takemaru. But her parents gave her no choice in the matter...On the eve of her wedding, Izayoi ran into the woods one last time, hoping to see the Inu no Tashio and tell him farewell."

"Did she find him?" Sophia asked giddily, wanting to know what happened next.

Kagome smiled at the eager faces not just from the children, but from the adults as well. "As a matter of fact, she did. The Inu no Tashio had heard the rumors of Izayoi's engagement and hurried to find her before it was too late. For you see, the Inu no Tashio had always been fascinated by humans and ever since she was a little girl, the demon was entranced by Izayoi's beauty and protected her by keeping away threats from both demons and humans since the first night they met. He had watched the noble girl as she became a woman, and had grown fond of Izayoi's grace, kindness, and courage. Before he had even realized it, the Inu no Tashio had fallen in love with Izayoi...When they finally reunited, Izayoi was so thrilled to see the Inu no Tashio that she kissed him with all the love in her heart, before she confessed how much she wished she could marry him instead. Izayoi would rather give her heart to a demon who cared for her, than a greedy rich human whom she could never truly love. The Inu no Tashio confessed his love for her as well, and together they ran away to marry. A few months later, Izayoi was baring their first child."

"Wait a minute," T-Dog interrupted, completely baffled. "You're telling me that Izayoi had a baby with a demon?"

Kagome nodded, "Yes. A half demon. In my country we call them hanyous."

"Hanyous," Sophia tried to pronounce the name correctly.

"That's right," Kagome nodded with praise. "Unfortunately, Izayoi's family was furious when they heard of their daughter's marriage and pregnancy. Half demons were considered unholy beings, and were detested by humans and demons alike. Many of them have even tried to kill the Inu no Tashio and Izayoi just for even being together. But the Inu no Tashio took on any threat against him and his wife, and reigned victorious every time...One night, when the Inu no Tashio was away to kill a demon who threatened them, the noble family had their soldiers kidnap Izayoi and locked her away. In order to save their daughter, they planned to kill the half demon baby the moment it was born." The children and a few women gasped at this. "The Inu no Tashio returned home wounded from his last fight, but immediately left to retrieve his beloved wife and child when he learned what happened. When the demon finally succeeded in saving his family, after he faced many of the noble family's soldiers, Izayoi had given birth to a son. Before the couple could rejoice about the birth of their child, the Inu no Tashio came face to face with Takemaru, who wanted revenge on the demon for stealing Izayoi away from him." The boys of the camps eyes widened in anticipation of a possible fight. "Before he faced Takemaru, the Inu no Tashio turned to his beloved wife and told her 'live long' before he whispered the name he wanted for his infant son."

"What'd he name the baby?" Glenn asked in curiosity.

Kagome hesitated to answer, and a supportive squeeze from Souta's hand gave her the courage to say the name. "He named him Inuyasha...Izayoi screamed in protest at her husband, saying that she would stay with him till the very end. The Inu no Tashio drew his sword and ordered his wife to leave him...It was the one and only time he had ever raised his voice to her. Startled and very frightened, Izayoi complied with her husband's wishes and ran for her life with the baby in her arms, leaving Takemaru and the Inu no Tashio to fight." Everyone's interest was raised when the sound of the story was close to an end. "The battle raged on furiously between the human and demon, but it was clear that the Inu no Tashio was the one who was going to be victorious. In desperation, Takemaru ordered his remaining soldiers to set the place on fire, entrapping him and the Inu no Tashio inside. Both the demon and the ex-betrothed continued to battle as the building burned around them. They fought with hatred in both their hearts, as the building collapsed and left them both to burn to death...Leaving Izayoi to raise her newborn son alone."

Amy was gasping in disbelief at the end of the story, "The demon died?" Kagome nodded yes. "But-but I thought this was a happy story?" the young blond woman whined.

"No, I said it was a story about love between a demon and human," Kagome corrected, "And not every love story ends happily." Everyone looked at one another, not sure how to take the ending of the tale. "But," Kagome continued, "Although their tale ended in tragedy, the Inu no Tashio and Izayoi loved each other passionately with the time they shared together. Two beings, who had been enemies for centuries, believed that their love was worth the risks of being hated and hunted by demons and humans. And together they created something so precious that they would give their lives to protect it: A child born of two worlds...A child born from true love." Kagome looked at everyone around her to ask them a question, "Is there no greater happiness than that?"

The group looked at one another, considering her words.

"Wow," Sophia said in astonishment, "I hope I meet someone who loves me that much."

Some of the single adults nodded in agreement, including a young hunter, though no one noticed his action.

"What happened to Izayoi and the baby?" Eliza asked the priestess.

Kagome sighed, "That Eliza is a different story...For another time."

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Early the next morning, Daryl glared at the tent with his older brother inside. 'Dumb ass, Merle,' he thought with annoyance, 'What's he thinkin' goin' into the city?'

Everyone in the camp was still asleep except for Jim, who was on watch on top of the RV.

Daryl had planned to go hunting and was getting everything ready for him to leave.

That's when he spotted movement.

He glanced over at one of the tents, and saw a head sticking out.

It was Kagome, who kept her attention intently on Jim. The moment Jim turned his gaze away, she made a break for the woods, making as little noise as possible.

"The hell?" Daryl muttered before he went to follow her with his crossbow in hand.

Jim saw him go and was about to say something, when Daryl made a gesture for him to stay quiet. Jim watched the hunter go into the woods, but didn't say anything to alarm the camp. 'He has his crossbow, so he'll be fine,' Jim reasoned as he went back on watch.

Daryl followed Kagome's trail all the way to the edge of the woods, towards the lake. He quickly paused when he saw Kagome at the edge of the lake. 'Stupid girl. The fuck's she doin'?' he thought in irritation.

Before he could get her attention and call her out on her stupidity, Kagome slipped off her over shirt and began to take off her tank top.

Daryl's eyes widened in surprise at the sight before him.

Not because Kagome was now topless.

It was what he saw on her back.

Scars...Lots of them.

The early morning light was bright enough for Daryl to see the details of the marks that covered Kagome's pale skin. Whatever her former wounds were made from, they didn't heal very well. Daryl had to think back on all the times he had seen Kagome at camp, and all of them were of her wearing long sleeved over shirts. He found it odd when he first observed this since the weather was so hot. 'Now it all makes sense,' he thought to himself.

Kagome continued to undress, making Daryl's face and body go hot. The hunter quickly turned around in embarrassment and respect for the priestess. Daryl heard a splash in the water, and allowed Kagome to enjoy her swim in peace, 'Damn stupid to be by herself,' he thought bitterly while trying to regain himself. Still, Daryl stood guard, hidden behind a tree, making sure that Kagome wouldn't be disturbed or get attacked by Walkers.

When the priestess finally came out of the water, and after hearing her get redressed, Daryl came out from behind the tree and stormed over to her. "What the fuck are you doing?" he walked up and snapped at the priestess in irritation.

Kagome jumped in surprise when she saw him, "Wh-what?" She was so distracted by her swim that she didn't sense him nearby. "Wait, were you spying on me?" she accused him.

"Don't turn this on me," Daryl interjected, "How stupid could you be, bein' out here on your own?"

"I can take care of myself," she snapped at him, "I just wanted to swim before everyone woke up!" Kagome didn't explain why, but by Daryl's lack of questions she immediately began to go pale. "Oh Kami...You saw them didn't you," she stated completely mortified. The priestess knew the majority of her scars were received from the final battle with Naraku. Kagome also knew how ugly they looked, which was why she kept them covered, even from her family.

After a few moments, the hunter gave a small nod, admitting what he'd seen.

Kagome gripped her over shirt tightly and looked down in shame. "I'm-I'm not going to talk about it. So don't even try to ask," she said, trying to sound threatening but failed.

Daryl didn't comment on what she had said. Instead he sighed, "Come on," he gestured his head back to camp, "We need to go back before your brother sees your missin'."

Kagome looked back up at Daryl and stared at him in amazement.

Normally, a person would want to hammer her with questions. Some of her school friends had asked about her scars in the past. Kagome hated coming up with lame excuses and seeing the looks of pity on their faces.

But with Daryl there was no pity.

Only signs of understanding that she had secrets that she didn't want to share.

Kagome gave him a grateful smile before they made their way back to camp.

Both of them walked in silence.

Awkward silence.

Too awkward for Kagome's liking.

"So, you saw my scars...What else did you see?" she asked with a light teasing tone. Daryl didn't say anything as he kept walking back to camp. "Wow," Kagome said mildly offended, "I know I'm not a perfect ten, but I thought I was okay looking at least. Guess I'm more hideous than I thought."

"Shut up," Daryl finally spoke, "You ain't hideous, alright."

Glad that he was finally talking, Kagome gave him a playful nudge, "See. You can be sweet at times."

"Stop," he told her with mild embarrassment in his tone. When they finally reached the edge of camp, Daryl halted, "Go on. I'm goin' off to hunt."

Kagome nodded, "Good luck and stay safe." Daryl said nothing as he began to walk away from her. "And Daryl," Kagome called out quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. The hunter stopped and turned his head around to look at her, "I know I said I can take care of myself...But thanks for looking out for me," she told him before walking back to her tent.

Daryl was stumped by her gratitude but didn't dwell on it. "Confusing bitch," he muttered before he went into the woods.

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"You gonna miss Ol' Merle while he's gone, China Doll?" Merle asked flirtingly, later that morning.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she gathered his dirty cloths along with Daryl's. "Oh yes, I'll be counting the hours until your return," she replied sarcastically, making Merle chuckle. "Be careful out there, Merle."

"Don't ya worry," he assured.

She nodded and began to walk away with their dirty clothes in hand when something fell out of one of Merle's pants.

A small plastic bag with something off white inside.

"What the?" Kagome questioned about to pick it up, when Merle beat her to it.

"Hey! Don't touch my stuff!" he warned her in a harsh tone that she'd never heard him use before.

"Merle," Kagome looked at him sternly, "Are those drugs?" she asked appalled.

The redneck put the bag in his pocket, "None of your damn business, chink!" he told her in an angry tone.

Kagome gaped at him from the rude remark. In anger she threw the cloths to the ground and got in Merle's face. "Merle, I don't care what you do that makes you forget about what's happened to the world." Merle raised a brow at hearing her sound so angrey. He had never even heard her raise her voice. "But if you do anything that would put these people in harm's way, I'll shoot my arrow right up your ass," Kagome warned him enraged, "Do you hear me?!"

Normally Merle would have been amused by the threat, but from the dangerous look in her eye, he could tell that threat was a serious one. So instead, he nodded, "Yea. Yea I hear ya."

Satisfied, Kagome nodded and picked up the pile of dirty cloths and began to walk away.

"Didn't know our China Doll had claws," Merle said out loud.

"I'm Japanese, Merle," she reminded him without turning around.

This time, Merle snorted in amusement.

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It had been less than an hour since the small group left for Atlanta.

"This sucks," Amy muttered as she and Kagome did some laundry with a tin of water and a washboard. The young blond didn't think that doing laundry the hard way would take so much time and energy.

"It's what we have to do," Kagome told her as she washed one of Souta's shirts. Amy was close to Kagome's age, so they become pretty close friends and often did their chores together.

Amy looked over and wiped her forehead with her forearm, "You can talk. You're actually useful around here. This is pretty much all I'm good for," she gestured to the laundry.

Kagome looked up at the blond girl not pausing in her task. "We're all valuable here, Amy," she argued, "Even if you don't realize it." Amy shook her head in disbelief as she continued to wash the clothes. "If you don't believe you are, then do something about it," Kagome proposed.

Amy looked back up in confusion, "Like what?"

"Well, you can come with me later when I go out to look for more herbs," Kagome suggested. "I need someone to go with me anyway with Shane's new rule."

This made Amy's eyes widen in delight, "Really? I can come?" The priestess nodded yes. "Thanks Kagome," the blond said in excitement and gave her a side hug. Kagome giggled and hugged her friend back.

Suddenly, the sound of a radio static startled the two woman and everyone else in camp.

It was coming off the CB radio.

" _Hello...Can anyone hear my voice?...If anyone is out there please respond,"_ said someone other end of the CB.

Amy immediately ran over to the radio, since she was closest and grabbed the speaker, "Hello," she replied into the speaker.

" _Hello, can you hear my voice?"_ a man said through the radio.

"Yes I can hear you," Amy said in excitement, "You're coming through. Over."

" _If there's anyone out there please respond,"_ the voice continued to speak. _"I'm broadcasting on emergency channel. Can anyone hear me? Over. I will be approaching Atlanta on highway eighty five. Over. If anyone reads, please respond."_

Dale and Kagome walked over to Amy, having heard the conversation and looked at one another in disappointment.

Whoever this man was, he couldn't hear them.

"We're just outside the city," Amy tried to tell them man, "...Can you hear me?" The sound of static was her answer. "Damn it. I lost him."

"Try again," Kagome urged.

Dale called over to Shane, "Shane. We need your help. You know how to work this thing."

Shane walked over and took the speaker from Amy, "Hello. Hello, is the person who called still in the area?" After getting no response, Shane adjusted the signal. "This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to person unknown, please respond."

The camp gathered around the radio in anticipation.

The man didn't respond back.

"He's gone," Shane told everyone, putting the speaker down.

"There are others," Lori said with a hint of relief, "It's not just us."

Souta walked over to his sister, who wrapped her arm around his shoulders and drew him in close. 'If there are people still out there, then there's still hope,' Kagome thought to herself.

"It's why we leave the CB on," Shane reminded her.

"A lot of good it's been doing," Lori argued, "I keep telling you that we need to put signs on the road, to warn people to stay away from the city."

Amy nodded in agreement, "Folks have no idea of what they're getting into."

Shane sighed, "We haven't had time."

Kagome glared at Shane slightly, "We need to make some."

The office rubbed his face in mild frustration, "It's a luxury we can't afford. We're surviving," he reminded her, "We're day to day."

Dale looked from Shane to Lori, "Who do you suppose we send?"

"I'll go," Lori offered instantly and looked over to Shane, "Give me a vehicle."

"No one goes out there alone," Shane reminded her of their new rule.

"I can go too," Kagome offered, making Souta look at her in alarm.

Shane glared at her, "I said no."

Lori gave him a disappointing stare before storming away to her tent. Carl went to follow her, but he was stopped by Shane. "Nah man, you stay here with Kagome and Souta."

Carl nodded and walked over to Souta and Kagome.

The priestess looked at the little boy, "Your mom just wanted to help innocent people, that's all," she explained before looking at Souta. "And I did too...I'm sorry I did that without asking you first."

Souta nodded in understanding. Of course he knew that, but he didn't want his sister to leave him. 'I already lost mom,' he thought, 'I can't lose Kagome too'.

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"What about this one?" Amy asked, picking up a mushroom and showing it to Kagome. They both went into the woods an hour after the incident with the CB radio.

Kagome took the mushroom and inspected it, "Yep, this one's good too." Amy smiled triumphantly. "You're a pretty fast learner," she said impressed.

The blond beamed at the compliment. "Where did you learn all this stuff anyway?" Amy asked curiously.

Kagome paused for a moment before she started picking more mushrooms, "When I was in middle school, a few friends of mine and I would constantly go out and camp in the woods. I learned how to survive off the land and do things the old fashioned way."

Amy was confused but didn't question her further, "Wish I did something like that before all this. Is that when you learned to shoot a bow too?"

The priestess nodded, "Mm-hmm. I've been thinking about giving the children a few lessons if their parents will let me. I can teach you too if you'd like."

"That'd be awesome," Amy agreed to the offer before looking around the forest floor, "I think that's all there is." Kagome nodded in agreement before they went back to camp. The priestess looked at the blond woman and saw the gloom look on her face. "Andrea will be back soon," she assured her.

"I hope so," Amy mumbled as she went over to hand the mushrooms to Lori. "Here you go. We already checked to see if their poisonous."

"Thanks," Lori said as dumped the mushrooms into a bowl, "I saw some acorns the other day. I'm gonna go gather them up."

Kagome attempted to follow her, "No one can go out alone remember."

"I'll be fine. And you need to cook the mushrooms anyway," Lori said before walking off.

Kagome shrugged off the older woman's strange behavior before sitting down to cook the mushrooms, "I wonder what that was about."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Isn't it obvious?" Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "She wants to be alone with a certain police officer."

The priestess eyes widened and looked around camp, where Shane was nowhere to be seen. "No way?" she said in disbelief. 'Shane and Lori are together?' Kagome thought surprised.

"Way," Amy replied in amusement from Kagome's reaction.

"Does Carl know?" Kagome asked still in shock.

"I doubt it," Amy told her.

Kagome shook her head at the new information, 'I wonder why they're keeping their relationship a secret.'

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A few hours later, Amy continuously paced back and forth, "It's late. They should have been back by now," she stated, referring to the group in the city.

Kagome sighed as her friend's distress.

"Worrying won't make it better," Dale pointed out, as he and Jim worked on the RV's engine.

Amy continued pacing till the radio squawking made her and everyone at camp jump.

" _Hello, base camp,"_ said a voice on the radio.

"T-Dog," Kagome identified the voice.

" _Hello? Can anybody out there hear me?"_ T-Dog yelled into the radio.

Dale climbed up the RV to the roof, where they kept the CB radio. They figured moving the radio at a higher altitude would increase the signal.

" _Base camp, this is T-Dog. Anybody hear me?"_ he desperately yelled.

Dale picked up the speaker, "Hello? Hello? Reception's bad on this end. Repeat. Repeat."

" _Shane is that you?"_ T-Dog questioned.

"Is it them?" Lori questioned.

Dale gestured for her to be quiet. _"Were' in some deep shit. We're trapped in the department store."_

Shane rubbed the back of his head nervously, contemplating on what to do. "He said there trapped."

" _There are geeks all over the place..."_ T-Dog continued, until the last part of the sentence came out as static.

"T-Dog, repeat that last. Repeat," Dale informed him.

The static continued.

T-Dog's signal had been cut off.

"He said the department store," Lori told everyone what she heard. She looked over to the officer desperately, "Shane."

"No way," he replied immediately, "We do not risk the rest of the group. Y'all know that."

Amy glared at him in anger, "You're just going to leave her!"

Shane tried to speak to the young blond woman calmly, "Amy, I know this isn't easy."

"She volunteered to go!" Amy argued, "She did it to help the rest of us!"

"I know. And Andrea knew the risks, right?" Shane pointed out to her.

Kagome looked at Shane in disbelief, "If you were stuck out there, wouldn't you want us to come get you?" she argued.

"Not if it put anyone else at risk," Shane replied sounding reasonable. "They're trapped. That means they're gone. We just have to deal with that...There's nothing we can do."

Angry tears fell down Andrea's face, "She's my sister you son of a bitch!" she screeched in his face before running away, unable to take his words anymore.

Kagome sent Shane a deadly glare before she followed the blond girl towards her and Andrea's tent. "Amy," Kagome called to her as she entered the tent and saw the blond crying her eyes out. The priestess sat down next to Amy, who buried her face in Kagome's shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Andrea will find a way back to you," Kagome said while wrapping her arm around Amy, giving her a side hug.

"How do you know?" she muttered thorough her tears.

"Because I'm a big sister too," Kagome explained, "And if it was me out there, I'd fight like hell to get back to Souta...Andrea is going to do whatever it takes to get back here. Just for you."

Amy's tears finally stopped and gave a small smile.

 **And that's it for chapter two. So what do you think? How'd you like the moments between Kagome and Daryl? Next time: Rick appears, Daryl's pissed, and Kagome volunteers to go to Atlanta...Oh my.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	3. You Think You Know a Person

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Hey everyone. Sorry about the confusion. I sent a little message in all my stories and deleted them a few days later. So although it said there were three chapters it was really two.**

 **But in good news, here is the 'real' chapter three.**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **CK (Guest): Wow. Thank you so much. I enjoyed writing those parts.**

 **MyworldMyImagination: OMG, thank you. And don't worry about short chapters. My minimum requirement for the word count for every single chapter is over six thousand words. That's just how I roll**

 **Vexel: I'm glad you liked it. I try really hard to keep the characters in...well character. Lol.**

 **Alice (Guest):...I have no idea what your review said because the website wouldn't let me see it. I'm sorry**

 **Spastic Freak: Well here it is.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: *insert jumping up and down in excitement here* Me neither! Here ya go!**

 **sango531: I'm glad you think so. I appreciate the compliment.**

 **demongirl2003: I will I will I will XD!**

 **Guest: Thanks, I will.**

 **TA (Guest) and Guest (2): Again I'm really sorry for the confusion.**

 **Thank you all for taking the time to review my fic. I really appreciate your support. And a huge shout out to *insert a loud and large inhale here* moonlight phonex101, Lorelei evans, techi1590, Miko-Of-The-Cherry-Blossoms, Gwen Fin Alae, Belbie93,** **Ryuukuchi Souza, AnimeAngel240, ricebunny88, Black Fox Kenzie, Vexel, MOONWOLF1234, DreamerzLove, MyworldMyImagination, xoxoMooseTracksxoxo, Spastic Freak, BonzaiNekoNeko, Ninjallama1998, sango531, Tahari, Cii-Chan, demongirl2003, Dark Lord of All, DrAnime203, DaadyGal26, Hidden Gates, Msole, TheDeathgodess, *insert loud and large inhale here* iluvsessandkags, Neko of despair, SeleneAlice, difficultone92, White Alchemist Taya, sakura7290, wilkinsbecca, Fluffydruid, the aro spectrum, MangoAiko, zoidberg567,** **WallyWestlover, , animefangirl0219, , *insert loud and large inhale here* I am catlord, DoubleA2016, ViolentBookworm173, zaria55, Sesshychan1, Amethyst-Pheonix2003, ChezaTakehashii, ShiroHollow96, zofie15, XxXTwilight-SinXxX, redstar kitsune, Wolfinn, RyuuTsukiko, XxEriaChanxX,** ***insert loud and large inhale here* , Lady Lucirnaga, Dreamspirit47, Diana933, dragon1414, Noloved, masterbroly, ,** **FrostBittenKiss14,** **cara8967, palii26, and Vada Shinigami *insert collapsing to floor due to lack of oxygen***

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Walking Dead. There I said it. *sniffle* Are you happy now?

Chapter Three: You Think You Know a Person

Rick Grimes continued to follow Glenn in the delivery van that held a group of survivors he had met in a department store in Atlanta. 'What have I done?' he continued to ask himself as he contemplated what had happened...Thinking about the man they left for dead.

"Don't dwell on it," Morals told him in the passenger's seat. "Merle got left behind. Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back...Except maybe his brother, Daryl."

"And probably Kagome too," Jacqui stated to them.

"Who's that? His girlfriend?" Rick asked turning his head slightly to hear Jacqui.

"No. Just a sweet young lady at the camp," Jacqui explained, "Only person the Dixons really talk to."

Rick nodded in mild understanding, not feeling any better about what he had done.

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Back at the Quarry, Kagome walked over to Lori and Shane with Souta at her side. Lori was attempting to cut her son's hair while Shane was cleaning his rifle.

"Baby the harder you struggle the longer it takes," Lori scolded her son.

"I'm trying," Carl whined as he fidgeted at his mother's feet.

"Try harder," Lori replied before she looked up and saw the Higurashi siblings. "How's Amy?" she asked Kagome with genuine concern.

The priestess shrugged, "As well as can be expected," she replied while glaring over at Shane, who was trying to avoid her gaze as he cleaned his rifle. "Hey Lori, would you mind cutting Souta's hair too?" she asked her hesitantly.

"Not at all," Lori answered as she still attempted to deal with her son, "Only if I can get done with Mister Fidget here."

"Mooom," Carl whined, as Kagome and Souta sat down to wait their turn.

Shane chuckled at Carl's complaining, "You think it's bad now, wait till you start shaving. Then you'll be begging for your mom's haircuts."

Carl snorted, "I'll believe that when I see it. Right Souta?"

Souta nodded, not really wanting to get a haircut either.

Shane chuckled, "Tell you what, if you both get through this with some manly dignity, tomorrow I'll teach y'all something special." The boys looked at the man with interest. "I'll teach y'all how to catch frogs."

Kagome raised a brow.

"I've caught a frog before," Carl stated to the former officer.

"Nah man," Shane said amused, "I said frogs. Plural. And it's an art, my friend. That is not to be taken lightly. There are ways and means few people know about it. And I'm willing to share my secrets with you two," he said to them, as if he was giving them a special privilege.

Souta looked up at his sister with a quizzical face.

"Don't look at me," Kagome told him, "I don't deal with animals that don't have fur on it."

Carl looked over to his mother just as confused.

"Oh I'm a girl, you talk to him," Lori stated as she turned her son's head back to finish her work.

"Why do we need frogs, plural?" Carl asked Shane.

Shane smirked, "You ever eat frog legs?"

"Eww," Carl said in repulsion.

Souta tuck his tongue out to show his disgust.

"Gross," Kagome said just as nauseated. She had enough experience with frog demons to last her a life time. 'No way am I going put anything like that in my mouth.'

"Nah man. Yum" Shane told them.

Lori shook her head in disagreement, "No, they're right. Eww."

Shane chuckled, "When y'all get down to that last can of beans, you're going to be loving those frog legs, ladies."

"I think I'd rather hunt down a rabbit instead," Kagome commented. Souta tapped his shoulder with his finger, indicating that he would want the same thing.

"Well you can hunt. Lori on the other hand will be all 'Uh Shane, do you think I can get a second helping please? Just-just one," Shane teased.

Lori snorted, "Yeah, I doubt that."

"Don't listen to her boys," Shane told the boys, "We'd be heroes. Feed these folks some Cajun-Style Kermit Legs."

"I'd rather eat Miss Piggy," Lori said, making Kagome and Shane snort with laughter.

"Umm, Lori," Kagome was about to comment on her statement.

"I know. I know, it came out wrong," Lori said before she laughed as well.

Carl turned his gaze over to Souta in confusion, "I don't get it. Do you?"

Souta shook his head just as baffled.

Kagome patted the top of her brother's head, admiring his innocence. "Never grow up, baby brother," she teased. The young Higurashi punched his sister's arm in embarrassment. "Oww. I was kidding," she playfully whined smiling as she rubbed her now sore arm.

Suddenly, the sound of a car alarm was heard echoing in the distance.

"What the?" Kagome said as everyone ran toward the RV. Dale had a pair of binoculars so he could see down the riven. "What is that?"

"Is it them?" Amy yelled up to Dale, "Are they back?" she said hopefully.

"I can't tell," Dale informed them as he tried to get a good look at what was coming. I red sports car was coming up the road, being followed by a white delivery van. "I'll be damned," he muttered.

"What is it?" Amy asked, with Kagome and Souta jobbing up next to her.

Dale lowered the binoculars and looked down at the young blond girl, "A stolen car is my guess."

The red car drove up and parked at the camp. Glenn exited the vehicle, his before his hands covered his ears.

"Turn that damn thing off!" Dale yelled at him.

"I don't know how!" Glenn admitted in a panic.

Shane and Jim rushed over to the car, "Pop the hood!" Shane ordered at the same time Amy was badgering Glenn about what happened to Andrea.

"Where is she? Is she okay? Is she alright?" Amy asked frantically, as Glenn opened the hood of the car.

"Yeah! Yeah! She's okay," Glenn assured the blond, just as the alarm was cut off by Jim.

Amy sighed in relief, "She's okay," she smiled as she turned to hug Kagome, "She's okay.

"I told you," Kagome said hugging her back.

"Everyone's okay," Glenn informed everyone, "Umm, Merle not so much."

Kagome quickly released Amy, "What do you mean? What happened?"

Shane had other issues, "Are you crazy driving this damn thing?" he asked in irritation as he gestured to the car. "Are you trying to draw ever Walker for miles?"

Dale shook his head in disagreement, "I think we're okay. The alarm was echoing all over these hills. Hard to pin point his source." Shane glared at the old man. "I'm not arguing, I'm just saying," Dale explained, "And it wouldn't hurt you to think things a little more carefully next time," he scolded to Glenn.

The Korean looked down ashamed, "Sorry...Got a cool car," he stated as if it made up for the noise.

The delivery van drove up shortly after.

As it did so, Kagome walked over to the Korean, "Glenn, what happened out there? And what happened with Merle?"

Glenn was at a loss of what to say, "I'm sorry Kagome. We didn't have a choice."

This made her more confused, "What choice?"

"Amy!" Andrea yelled as she came out of the back of the delivery van, drawing Kagome's attention away.

"Andrea!" Amy cried out as she ran over to hug her sister.

"Papi! Daddy!" Louis and Eliza shouted when they saw their father come out the passenger side of the van. Morales's wife followed behind them and greeted her husband with a kiss.

"Kagome," Jacqui called over while assisting a wounded T-Dog, "We need your help, honey."

The priestess made her way over to T-Dog and gasped. He had a few bruises on his face, a busted lip, blood on his shirt, and he was holding his side as if he were in pain. It looked like he had been in a fight...And not with a Walker.

"Who did this?" Kagome asked but had a gut feeling of who it was.

"It was that damn Dixon! That's who did this!" T-Dog explained as she and Jacqui helped him sit on a large rock.

Kagome sighed in infuriation at Merle's actions. "Lift up your shirt," she ordered T-Dog, as she kneeled down in front of him. The man did as he was told so she could inspect his injuries. "It doesn't look like you broke any ribs, but they're bruised. You'll be sore for the next few days."

"Great," T-Dog muttered in annoyance.

Kagome stood up and brushed the dirt off her jeans, "I'll make an herbal remedy for you. It'll dull the pain so you can sleep comfortably tonight."

"Thank you, honey," Jacqui said in appreciation and nudged T-Dog on his arm.

"Oww," he winced, "Yeah, thanks," he mumbled giving the older woman a glare.

"Hey helicopter boy! Come say hello!" Morales called out to the van, drawing everyone in the camps attention "The guy's a cop like you," he told Shane.

Kagome watched as she saw their new arrival look at Shane in recognition. 'They know each other,' she concluded.

But Kagome didn't prepare herself for what had happened next.

"Dad!" Carl cried out as he ran to the new arrival, Rick Grimes.

Rick immediately ran over and hugged his son, with tears falling down both their faces.

Lori looked at her husband in disbelief. All this time, she had believed he had been dead. Now here he was. Alive. Right in front of her. Rick carried Carl as he walked over to Lori, so he could hold them both.

Lori held him back, 'This is real...He's alive'

Kagome covered her mouth as happy tears ran down her own face at the touching scene. A family had been reunited after a long separation. 'What more of a blessing could you ask for?' she asked to herself. She glanced over at Souta and saw that he wasn't as thrilled to see the sight. Kagome calmly walked over to her brother, "Souta?" she questioned as she approached him.

He was crying...And it wasn't tears of joy.

Carl's father had been dead and now he was back.

Souta and Kagome's mother was dead...And they know she couldn't come back.

"Oh Souta," Kagome said as she embraced her brother. Souta cried silently into her stomach. "Shh, I know Souta...I know," she whispered to him.

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Later that night, the camp listened to Rick story. Of how he had awoken from his coma in the hospital and saw that the world had changed overnight.

"Disoriented," Rick said, "I guess that comes closest...Fear, confusion...All those things. But disoriented comes closest."

"Words can be meager things. Sometimes they fall short," said Dale before looking at Kagome, "Only in some cases though."

Kagome smiled at Dale's compliment. Souta was sitting in front of her, and she rested her chin on top of his head, and wrapped her arms around him to keep them warm.

Rick nodded, "For a while...I thought I was in a coma dream, something I might not wake up from ever."

Carl, who had his head in his father's lap, looked up at Rick, "Mom said you died."

Lori, who was snuggled up at her husband side, froze in place. She didn't tell Carl that he was dead, 'Shane did,' she thought to herself.

"She had every reason to believe so...Don't ever doubt that," Rick told his son.

Lori glared over at Shane, who didn't take his eyes off her. "Umm," she said turning back to Rick, "When things went bad, they told me at the hospital that they were gonna medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta...It never happened."

"From the look of that hospital, it got over run," Rick said in understanding.

"Sometimes looks don't deceive," Shane interrupted, "I barely got them out," he said referring to Lori and Carl.

Rick nodded to his police partner, "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you, Shane."

Kagome looked over to Shane and then quickly glanced over at Lori. 'If they really were in a relationship...Oh this may not be pretty,' she thought to herself.

The sound of wood falling interrupted everyone's attention from Rick to the Peletier family's fire.

"Hey Ed," Shane called over, "You might want to rethink that log."

"Its cold man," Ed complained as he sat back down on his seat. Carol and Sophia were sitting closely together trying to stay warm.

"Cold don't change the rules does it," Shane cautioned him, letting him know that he was in dangerous territory. "We keep the fires low so we can't be seen from a distance. Right?"

"I said it's cold," Ed said in a harsher tone, "You should mind your own business for once."

Souta maneuvered his way out of his sister's embrace to look over at Sophia. The young blond looked back at him, with a scared expression on her face.

Sophia didn't like it when her father got upset. 'He'll hurt Mama,' she whimpered in her mind. The way her father looked at her sometimes made her uncomfortable and she hated being alone with him.

Shane walked over to the Peletier family and dealt with the situation before coming back to their own fire.

"Have we given any thought to Daryl Dixon?" Dale asked everyone. "He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind."

"Would you be?" Kagome asked Dale in slight anger as she sat up straight, "I can't believe all of you left him like that," she told the group that was in Atlanta.

"Merle was a danger to everyone," Rick explained to her, "It was my decision to cuff him to the roof."

"I'm the one who dropped the key," T-Dog interrupted, "It's on me."

Rick looked back over to Kagome, "Jacqui told me that you're closer to the Dixons than anyone else here. We're going to need your help with Daryl when we tell him."

"I won't," Kagome quickly replied, surprising everyone by her response. "I understand why you did what you did. Merle was high because of whatever drugs he had. And I told him that if he did anything that would endanger the others, I'd put an arrow where the sun doesn't shine myself. But you two," she pointed to Rick and to T-Dog, "You left him to die."

"I dropped the key," T-Dog defended. "I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it."

Andrea shook her head, "We were all scared."

"I stopped long enough to chain the door," T-Dog admitted, "Dixon's alive."

Kagome shook her head in confusion, "Let me get this straight," she said trying to gather her thoughts, "You dropped the key. You had time to chain the door so he wouldn't get attacked by Walkers...But you didn't have time to actually free Merle using Dale's tools that you brought with you, like the saw or the cutters?!" she asked the last part in anger as she rose from her seat.

T-Dog tried to explain, "I uhh."

Kagome threw her hands in the air in frustration "Unbelievable," Kagome said distraught.

"Merle was out of control," Andrea argued, "Just cause you get along with him to some degree, doesn't mean the rest of us do too."

Kagome glared at the oldest blond, "I didn't hear you complain about Merle so much when you were eating that wild turkey he found a week ago!" Andrea tried to think of an argument but came up blank. "I've seen you and almost everyone here treat Merle and Daryl like trash, when they've done a lot for this group! And because they're rude and don't have a better upbringing like you, you treat them like they're expendable!" Everyone looked at one another, as if waiting for someone to say that she was wrong. No one stood up. "If this is how you treat people just because they're different, I don't know if I can stay a part of it," she admitted, causing the group to look at her in alarm.

Souta looked up at his sister hesitantly. 'What does she mean?'

"Are you...Are you saying you're going to leave us?" Dale asked in surprise and fear.

The priestess sighed trying to calm down and folded her arms. Her brother's reaction didn't go unnoticed by her. "I'll stay. But only because I know that this is the safest place for Souta," she told them before storming off to her tent.

Souta sighed in mild relief.

In the tent, Kagome let a tear fall down her face.

She didn't mean to explode like that with everyone, but their behavior towards the Dixons reminded her so much of how she and her friends was treated in the Feudal Era. All because they had Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kilala in their group.

Kagome hated closed minded people and their prejudice opinions.

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The next morning, Kagome woke up and helped Carol with laundry. Souta and the other children ran off to around the camp.

"Would you really have left us?" Carol couldn't help but ask the priestess after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Kagome sighed, "I don't know...I just don't like the way some people are treated at this camp."

Carol nodded in understanding, "I don't know what we'd do without you. Sophia loves you, and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't see you or Souta's smiling faces around here."

Kagome smiled at the compliment, "And I don't know what I'd do without you and Sophia," she replied before squeezing wrist affectionately. She quickly glanced further up Carol's arm and saw the bruise peeking out her shirt sleeve. "Carol, when I first got here, I told you that you and Sophia are welcome in my tent any time. And that offer still stands."

Carol looked at her hesitantly before she silently went back to work. Kagome placed her hand on top of Carol's to make her stop and listen. "What Ed is doing isn't right, Carol. And if he goes too far."

"Its fine," Carol said in alarm, "Ed gets mad sometimes but I."

"Carol," Kagome stopped her before she made a weak excuse for her abusive husband. "Someday it's going to be Ed's life, or yours, or Kami forbid Sophia's, in the balance. And when it does, you'll need to make a choice...I only pray that you'll make the right one."

"Morning ladies," Rick greeted the women after exiting the tent. He noticed Carol's uneasiness and gave her a curious look, "Everything alright?"

"Yes," Carol nodded, wanting to forget the conversation her and Kagome were having. "Your cloths are a little damp but the sun will dry them in no time."

Rick nodded in appreciation, "Thank you," he said before looking to Kagome, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

The priestess nodded, "Ok," she said and looked to Carol. "Please, remember what I said," Kagome said, wanting Carol to know she's on her side.

Carol looked at Kagome uncertainty before she answered, "O-okay."

Rick and Kagome walked off to another part of camp so that they could talk privately. "About what you said last night," Rick began to say.

"I'm sorry if I was out of line," Kagome interrupted him, thinking he was going to scold her like Shane had done multiple times before.

"No," Rick shook his head, "You were right. Despite his behavior, Merle is still a human being. And we need to go back for him."

Kagome was shocked by Rick's words. Shane never would have allowed such a thing as going back to the city, especially just for Merle. And yet Rick, the man who cuffed Merle to the roof, was willing to go back and risk his life for a man that would probably beat the hell out of him for what he had done. 'Maybe I was wrong about him,' Kagome thought.

"Thank you, Mr. Grimes," she said gratefully, "I should have said this when you arrived. But I'm glad you're here, and that you and your family are back together."

Rick smiled in appreciation, "Me too. And Kagome, you can call me Rick."

Kagome nodded and smiled too, "Thank you, Rick."

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Kagome had just gotten ready to go into the woods when she heard the screams.

"Mom!" Carl yelled from the other side of camp.

Sophia and Eliza were screaming at the top of their lungs for their parents.

The last scream got the priestess full attention.

"Souta!" Kagome called out in alarm as she raced towards the source of their screams. Lori, Rick, Shane, Jim, Dale, Andrea and Amy were on her trail instantly. All the men had guns ready.

Carl, Sophia, Eliza and Louis came out of the woods, running toward their families.

"It's over there," Sophia pointed as she ran into her mother's arms.

Lori immediately embraced her son, "Did it hurt you, baby? Did it scratch you?"

"No Mom," Carl answered completely terrified.

Kagome didn't see her brother with the rest of the children, "Souta!" she called out in alarm as she ran to where Sophia pointed a moment ago. **"Oh God please,"** Kagome begged in Japanese as she ran to find her brother.

She found Souta standing there, frozen in place, as he watched a Walker tear apart a deer.

Kagome grabbed Souta and pulled him away from the Walker's reach. Luckily, it had been too engrossed in its meal to notice the young Higurashi boy.

The men of the camp found them a moment later, and attacked the Walker by beating it with their weapons until Dale beheaded it with his hatchet.

A silent kill.

Kagome kneeled in front of her brother, who was deadly pale, and saw that his eyes wouldn't stray away from the deer. 'He's thinking about Mama,' Kagome realized. "Souta," she said maneuvering herself in front of the deer so Souta could no longer see it. **"Souta,"** Kagome said again, this time in Japanese. **"It's just a deer...It's not Mama. Mama is in heaven with Dad now. She's not suffering anymore. It's just a deer."**

Souta finally blinked and turned to his sister. He became teary eyed and fell to his knees to hug her. Kagome kissed the top of his head as she hugged him back.

"Is he alright?" Rick asked Kagome, having no idea what was going on.

"Yes," Kagome assured him before she looked over at the deer. That's when she saw the bolts that were on the deer's side, 'Those are from Daryl's crossbow.'

"It's the first Walker we've had up here," Dale gestured to the beaten and beheaded Walker. "They've never come this far up the mountain."

Jim shrugged, "Well, they're running out of food in the city. That might be why."

The sound of footsteps through the bushes startled the campers.

"Relax," Kagome told them as Souta pulled away from her, rubbing his nose on his sleeve, "It's only Daryl."

Sure enough, Daryl came out of the woods with his crossbow in hand. He was carrying a rope that had dead squirrels tied to it. "Son of a bitch," Daryl said in irritation once he saw the chewed up deer and Walker. "That's my deer!" he complained as he walked next to the animal. "Look at it. All gnawed on by this. Filthy. Disease-ridden. Motherless. Poxy bastard," he said while kicking the Walker's body with every word.

Kagome rolled her eyes at Daryl's behavior as she and her brother stood back up.

"Calm down, son," Dale tried to sooth the hunter, "That's not helping."

Daryl glared at him, "What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'On Golden Pond?'"

Souta looked up at his sister with a raised brow.

"Don't look at me," Kagome shrugged, "I don't know what that is either."

"I think it's an old movie," Glenn loudly whispered over to her.

"Oh," she said with mild understanding.

Daryl rolled his eyes as he began to pull the bolts out of the deer. "I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp and cook us up some venison." He looked up at Kagome, "What do ya think? Do ya think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

The priestess shook her head in response. "You don't do that when an animal gets bitten by a rabid one. We probably shouldn't do it with a Walker bite either."

"I wouldn't risk it," Shane threw in his opinion.

Daryl sighed in annoyance, "Damn shame. I got some squirrel," he showed his successful hunt, "About a dozen or so. That'll have to do."

Suddenly, the eyes of the Walker head opened and began to make snarling noises.

"Oh God," Amy said in disgust. Andrea dragged her sister away from the undead creature.

Daryl looked at the men as if they were stupid, "Come on people what the hell," he said as he aimed the crossbow at the Walker's head and fired a bolt into its skull. "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothin'?"

Kagome would have commented on the matter but knew there was a more important issue that they needed to talk about. "Daryl," she tried to stop him as he walked back to camp.

"Merle!" Daryl called out for his brother. "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's skin'em so China Doll can stew'em up."

Everyone was staring at the youngest Dixon uncomfortably. Not sure on how they should tell him about what had happened to his brother.

"Daryl hold up," Shane called out to him, "We need to tell you something."

Daryl turned to the officer and leader of the group, "About what?"

"About Merle," Shane admitted, "There, uhh, there was a problem in Atlanta."

Daryl looked at everyone in the group. All eyes were on him. His gaze drifted to Kagome last, who had a look of sadness her eyes. 'No,' he began to think the worst had happened to his brother. "He dead?" he asked Shane in a neutral voice, not wanting to break down in front of strangers.

Shane shook his head, "We're not sure."

This made the hunter glare at him, "He either is or he ain't!" Daryl snapped.

Rick sighed as he walked over to Merle, "No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it."

Daryl glared over to the stranger, "Who the hell are you?"

"Rick Grimes," the officer introduced himself.

"Lori's husband and Carl's father," Kagome quickly explained to Daryl.

Daryl scowled at the officer with hatred, "Rick Grimes, something' ya want to tell me?!" he snapped, his voice beginning to grow louder.

"Your brother was a danger to us all," Rick tried to rationally explain his decision. "So I handcuffed him on a roof and hooked him to a piece of metal...He's still there."

Daryl started pacing, his mind was completely loss of what he'd just heard, "Hold on...Let me process this."

"Daryl," Kagome walked over, attempting to calm him down.

"Stay out of it!" Daryl barked at the priestess. "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof! And you left him there?!" he yelled at the new arriving officer.

Rick hesitated a moment before he answered, "Yeah," he admitted.

Daryl began to see red while his hand clenched into a fist in anger. His blood began to boil with fury in his veins. Suddenly, the hunter threw the rope of squirrels at Rick to distract him, and quickly attempted to punch the sheriff in the face.

Rick dodged the rope of squirrels just as Shane tackled Daryl to the ground.

The hunter recovered quickly and unsheathed his hunting knife as he stood back up.

"Watch the knife!" T-Dog warned Shane and Rick.

Daryl thrashed his knife toward Rick, aiming for his throat.

Rick managed to dodge the assault and managed to punch Daryl in his midsection. This gave Shane a chance to get behind Daryl and lock his arm around the hunter's neck.

"Stop it!" Kagome ran to stand in front of Daryl and the former cop, "Shane let him go!"

"I think it's better if I don't," Shane told her as he struggled to keep Daryl in his grip.

"Choke hold's illegal," Daryl grunted as he began to grow short of breath and calmed down, allowing Shane to lower him to the ground.

Shane snorted, "File a complaint. Look man, we'll keep this up all day."

Rick drifted passed Kagome and kneeled down to Daryl's eye level, "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic," he said as coolly as possible. "Do you think we can manage that?"

Daryl sent Rick a death glare, wanting nothing more than to knock his teeth out. Kagome knelled next to Daryl and placed her hand on his shoulder in comfort. After a few more huffs to calm himself down, Daryl finally spoke, "Yeah."

Shane released Daryl, causing him to tumble to the ground.

Kagome shoved Shane's leg, "Jerk," she hissed at him.

Rick stayed where he was, "What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work or play well with others."

"Oh for Kami sake," Kagome said in annoyance. She knew Rick regrets what he did, but he was still pissing her off when he tried to rationalize his actions. "You knew Merle for what, five minutes, while he was high as a kite? And you think know his character based on that?"

"It wasn't all Rick's fault Kagome, remember?" T-Dog chimed in, "I had the key and I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?!" Daryl snapped at him.

"Well," T-Dog hesitated to say the next part, "I dropped it down a drain."

Daryl looked down in defeat.

These people.

They've looked down on him and Merle since they got here.

And now because of what they've done...He was alone.

The mere thought would have been enough for the young Dixon to break down.

'Fuck that,' Daryl said to himself, shaking his head at the idea.

"If that's supposed to make me feel better, it don't," Daryl stated as he stood up.

Kagome tried to place another hand on the hunter but he instinctively shoved her off, causing her to fall on to the ground ungracefully.

"Hey," Amy and Andrea said together at Daryl's actions.

Daryl glanced at Kagome, regretting what he had done for a second.

However, when he looked at her, he saw that she wasn't upset.

Instead, Daryl saw nothing but concern in Kagome's eyes...Concern for him.

'Must be imagining things,' the hunter rationalized.

"Look," T-Dog said, regaining the hunter's attention, "I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him. It has a pad lock."

"That's got to count for something," Rick pointed out.

"Barley," Kagome muttered, as she stood up and cleared the dust and dirt off her pants.

Daryl was doing his best to hold himself together, not wanting to look like a 'pussy' as his brother would say if he were here. "Hell with all y'all!" Daryl snapped in frustration, "Tell me where he is, so's I can go get him."

"He'll show you," Lori told the hunter, referring to Rick. And from the sound of her tone, she wasn't happy about this decision her husband had discussed with her earlier that day. "Isn't that right?" she said looking at Rick.

Everyone at camp looked at the officer waiting for his answer.

"I'm going back," Rick told everyone. Lori let out a huff before storming into the RV, obviously furious with her husband's decision.

Daryl stormed off back to his and Merle's tent. If he was going after Merle in Atlanta, he needed all of his bolts.

"Daryl," Kagome called out as she followed him.

"The hell ya want?! Huh?!" the hunter turned and snapped at her. He was so angry with everyone at this camp. A camp that included Kagome. "Gonna tell me not to go?! How I should just leave Merle there?! That's my brother, you dumb bitch! And you ain't gonna stop me!"

"I'm not," Kagome snapped back at him, not liking his tone with her.

"Then what'd you want?! You're wasting my time!" Daryl continued yelling at her.

Kagome felt angry tears coming to her eyes, but her pride wouldn't let them fall. She knew Daryl was upset and she wasn't going to yell it him for acting this way. "All I was going to say, was that I'm coming with you to Atlanta," she stated, making the hunter raise a brow. "Merle's been out on a roof for over twenty four hours. He's going to be dehydrated and probably has heat stroke. He'll need some form of medical attention. I have some medicinal herbs that'll help him with that...Just wanted you to know," Kagome concluded before she turned around and left, leaving the hunter entirely baffled.

'What the hell was that?' he wondered.

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Souta was sitting ground and stared at the dirt outside his and Kagome's tent.

The priestess exited the tent, carrying her bow and arrows and a small blue backpack on her back. Kagome looked down and sighed at her brother's miserable state. Even though she promised never to leave Souta alone, the group was going to need her help.

Slowly, she knelt down next to Souta and lifted his chin up so he'd look at her. "I'll be back before you know it," Kagome promised him.

Souta gave her a questioning look, as if to ask her why she was doing this.

"Wouldn't you want people to come if it was me out there on that roof?" Kagome asked him. Souta didn't hesitate to nod his head yes. "That's why I need to go. It's what decent people do."

Souta couldn't help but admire his sister's ability to help others, no matter who or even what they were. 'But I don't want to be by myself,' he thought to himself.

"Do you still have your knife?" Kagome asked him. Souta nodded yes and showed it stashed under his brown shirt. "Do you remember what I taught you?" she asked, once again making Souta nod. "Good. Only use those skills if you have to. And make sure you listen to what Lori says, okay?"

Souta looked back on the ground, giving a miserable nod as his answer.

Kagome sighed, hating to leave her brother when he was acting like this. Wanting to help him feel better, she reached around her neck and took off the necklace that held the hollow Shikon no Tama. "Here," she said offering the necklace to her brother. He looked at the piece of jewelry in confusion before looking back up to his sister. "A lot of blood was shed in order to obtain this Jewel. Priests, priestess, and monks had to guard this with their lives for hundreds of years. And I can't risk losing this in the city...You think you can keep this safe until I get back?" she asked him.

Souta knew there was no threat with him having the Jewel, but was still touched that Kagome offered to give the Shikon remains to him. 'This means so much to her,' he thought as he accepted the necklace. 'The least I can do is keep it for her,' he reasoned as he placed the necklace around his neck.

"Could you just tell me why?" Shane's voice interrupted the Higurashi sibling's moment. "Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked his police partner.

"Hey," Daryl warned the officer, "Choose your words more carefully."

Shane glared at the hunter, "No, I did. Douche bag is what I meant. Merle Dixon? The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

Kagome let out a sigh in exhaust, "They can't get along for a minute, can they?" she asked Souta, who shook his head no as they both made their way over to the others.

"What Merle would do, or would not do, doesn't interest me," Rick told Shane. "I can't let a man die because of me. We left him like an animal caught in a trap, that's no way for anyone to die."

"So you and Daryl," Lori interjected, who was sitting by the fire with her son. "That's your big plan?" she said unimpressed and angry.

Rick slowly glanced over at Glenn.

The Korean realized that he was going to be dragged back into the city, "Oh come on."

"You know the way," Rick explained, "You've been there before. In and out, no problem. You said so yourself...It's not fair of me to ask. I know that. But I'd feel a lot better with you along, and she will too," he said before pointing to his wife.

Shane snorted in disbelief, "That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?"

"Four," T-Dog spoke up.

Daryl glared at the man, "My day just gets better and better, don't it?"

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog argued.

"I already have," Kagome interrupted him, "I'm going too."

Shane instantly shook his head no, "I can't permit that."

Kagome raised a brow, "You can't 'permit' me?" she said, repeating the word he used in revulsion. "Yeah, I'm definitely going," she stated to him, since it wasn't his choice.

Rick looked at Kagome and noticed the bow that she carried. He had already seen Daryl use his cross bow, so there was no doubt that he was its original owner. 'But she could have taken that bow from any hunting or sports store,' Rick thought to himself. "Do you know how to use that?" he asked as he gestured to the bow.

Instead of answering him, Kagome sighed before she picked up a nearby rock on the ground and threw it to the nearest tree branches. The action spooked some birds that were sitting on the branches of the tree, causing them to take flight. Kagome quickly drew out an arrow, aimed it on her bow, and shot at the flock.

The arrow hit its desired target and landed on the ground with a thud.

"Cool," Carl said impressed, along with Louis and Eliza.

Sophia looked at the priestess in admiration.

Shane, who had yet to witness Kagome use her bow, was somewhat impressed but didn't let it show. "So you can shoot the thing. Doesn't make you an expert," he snorted sarcastically.

"Umm guys," Glenn called out to the officers picking up Kagome's arrow, and showing her target. Or more specifically targets. "She took out two birds in one shot," he revealed.

Daryl inwardly chuckled, "Show off," he muttered towards her.

Ignoring him, Kagome looked to Rick with an 'are you satisfied with that' look. "More meat for the group," she told to Carol, who would probably be the one chosen to cook it.

"Alright. You can come," Rick finally agreed, making Kagome nod in gratitude.

"Well that's five," Dale stated.

Shane shook his head in frustration, "It's not just five. You're putting every single one of us at risk," he told Rick. "You saw that Walker. It was IN camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back, we need every able body we've got. We need them to protect the camp."

Rick gave a knowing smirk, "It seems to me what you really need most here are more guns."

Glenn gasped in realization, "Right, the guns."

Kagome raised a brow, 'Guns?'

"Six shotguns, some high power rifles, over a dozen hand guns," Rick listed, "I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag when we got swarmed. It's just waiting on the street waiting to be picked up."

Shane blinked in disbelief, "Ammo?"

"700 rounds, assorted," Rick told him.

Kagome assumed that was a lot considering how many guns Rick mentioned.

Lori was fed up with her husband, "You went through hell to find us. You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?" she snapped at him.

After hearing his mother say that, Carl was also skeptical, "Dad, I don't want you to go."

Lori nodded, "To hell with the guns. Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with the guns thrown in."

Kagome gave out a sigh of frustration. It seemed that no matter how many times she defended the Dixons, people still didn't change their minds. **"Remember when I said to stay with Lori when I was gone,"** she asked Souta in Japanese. He nodded yes, **"Forget about that. You stay close to Amy instead."** If Lori was going to behave like an immature adult, then so could Kagome.

The priestess went to the young blond woman, and asked if it was okay for her to watch him.

A few minutes later, the rescue team was off to Atlanta.

 **That's the end of chapter three. Poor Kagome, getting shoved and snapped at by Daryl, but we all know he's not perfect. So what do you think? Next time: The adventures of Atlanta begin and the camp gets attacked.**

 **Till Then My Readers.**


	4. Never What They Seem

**Arrows and Scars**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **daisynaruto909: lol? Which part are you lol'ing? (Is that a word? I feel like it should be.)**

 **Spastic Freak: Heck yea! That girl got skillz. And yes, Kagome would empathize with the way the Dixons were treated since she saw and heard what Inuyasha went through his entire life.**

 **Guest: Wow, this will be a lot to cover, but if I must then I must. First, I agree. The Tenseiga would be the perfect weapon for her to use during a zombie apocalypse, but unfortunately it wasn't her original weapon so she won't have it in this fic. Second, we all wanted and still want to hug Daryl when he was first introduced and learned what happened to Merle. But honestly he seems like one of those people that as soon as you hug him he'll freeze up and think 'Why are you touching me?'...I'd still do it though, lol. Third, Lori is one of my least favorite characters in the Walking Dead. Actually, it's a tie between her and Andrea. I have to keep rewatching the seasons to write this fic, and every time I see these two people I think 'what is their purposes in this series?' All I can come up with is to bitch, complain, and cause trouble for others. And I think Kagome would be the kind of person who will disprove and point out their ridiculous behavior. Fourth, to answer your question, yes. Souta will speak again when he does have something he desperately wants to say. It won't happen in this chapter, but it will happen soon. Finally, I graduated already and I'm currently working at my first "grown up" job, so there's nothing to worry about.**

 **CK (Guest): I'm glad you like it. I do love Kagome pairing fanfics but I think it's important that Kagome interacts with everyone, not just her love interest.**

 **MyworldMyImagination: You're preaching to the choir about Andrea. To answer your questions. 1) Yes, that is my plan. That's why I'm updating every month instead of every week like I usually do. This way I'll get a good idea of where the show is going and how to work it with my fic. 2) I'm not gonna lie, yes they do find out. When and how? You'll have to read and see. 3) *Insert Blush* Yes. But again, when and how I cannot say. *Insert Intense Blush* Don't judge me!**

 **AnimeAngel240: Thank you, I tried my best to keep Daryl in character. I'm not saying that I'm trying to keep this story realistic, (Because being stuck in a zombie apocalypse with a girl that either befriended or killed demons five hundred years ago is totally realistic *wink wink*) but Daryl isn't the love at first sight kind of guy. Nor is he the kind of guy to pin a woman against a tree and have his way with her...*insert blush here* No matter how much we wish he did.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: Wow, thank you so much. I'm glad you like it. Hopefully I can keep you interest throughout the whole fic...However long that may be.**

 **: LOL I'm glad you liked that line.**

 **yourworldismine: I'm so happy that you like it.**

 **Mylla-chan: Thank you so much. Well, here ya go.**

 **Vertigo Venom: Maaaybe *wink wink***

 **GiggleboxGirlie: I'm glad and of course I will.**

 **ONE UPDATE A MONTH FOR THIS FIC! THAT'S A PROMISE!**

 **Thank all of you for all of your lovely reviews and I hoped I answered most of your questions without giving too much away. Also a huge thank you to: JessiexDKuroNeko, kerumi22, kirahigurashi, YukiYukina, reicheru-hime, keotaka1, chibi-no-baka, ComicsToo, eBeth093, , LCluvanime, sephchipmunk, save the sharks, Sonea66, Inuyashainy, DigitalSorceress, yourworldismine, Nova. , gurlygenes, Sarr, Punkettie, Mylla-chan, I'mSufferingOfCerealBoredom, Blue-Huntress, Nymphadora Jackson, bexi2010, Vertigo Venom, shika93, misamiania, keykeybaby6, HolyCheesus, Nutcase4690, xDarakuxShitaxTenshix, the golden fox, Witch Priestess, Strike-Lord, mo111, DoubtReality, freak4myanime, MoonTigress, Nonie Redd, MysticWolf71891, Animelover5689, GiggleboxGirlie, Maka09, and all of you are awesome and I hope to keep you interested for many more chapters to come.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Walking Dead...I'd be set for life if I did though...Which would be awesome!

Chapter Four: Never What They Seem

There wasn't much talking in the van as they journeyed for their rescue mission to Atlanta, until the group actually reached the border near the city.

"He'd better be okay," Daryl warned to T-Dog, "It's my only word on the matter."

"I told you. The geeks can't get at him," T-Dog reminded the hunter. "The only ones who are going to get through that door is us."

"We just need to have a little faith," Kagome told the both of them, as she sat next to Daryl while sitting behind the driver seat.

Rick snorted, couldn't help but overhearing the conversation, "Wouldn't bet on faith."

She shrugged, "Doesn't matter. I have enough of it for everyone here."

Rick couldn't help but turn around in his seat to look at Kagome, "You one of those overly religious types?" he asked her.

Kagome half smiled at him, "I don't know about the overly part, but I am religious. Kind of happens when you live in a shrine."

"A shrine," Glenn repeated from the driver's seat, "What kind?"

"Shinto," she replied, "I was... I am the shrine's priestess."

The men didn't know how to respond to that. Luckily, Glenn had reached their destination and turned off the car, "We walk from here."

Sneaking into the city was tricky, but not impossible. 'Especially with Glenn navigating,' Kagome thought gratefully for her Korean friend.

"Merle first or guns?" Rick suddenly asked Glenn.

"Merle," Daryl snarled, "We ain't even havin' this conversation."

Rick glared at the hunter, "We are."

"Merle's been exposed to the sun for too long already," Kagome told Rick, "We have to get to him now."

"Merle's closest anyway. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first," Glenn said, ending the discussion.

After they made that decision, the group made their way to the department store where the first group had been trapped.

The place had been overrun by Walkers when they had left, but now there was only one Walker in the entire store.

"Damn," Daryl whispered as he pointed his crossbow at the female Walker, "You are one ugly skank." He shot the bolt, piercing the Walkers skull right between the eyes.

"And you called me the show off," Kagome whispered loudly over to the hunter.

Daryl gave deep chuckle as he pulled the bolt out of the Walkers head.

Quickly, but quietly, the group rushed up the buildings stairs up to the roof door. It was still chained with the pad lock still intact. T-Dog used the bolt cutters they brought with them, curtesy of Dale, and broke into the roof.

"Merle!" Daryl called out to his brother, "Merle!"

Nobody answered.

The group searched the roof to find any sign of the oldest Dixon.

Unfortunately, the only sign they found was discovered by the youngest Dixon.

"No!" Daryl cried out, "No! No!"

Kagome walked over to what Daryl had seen and gasped in horror, "Oh my Kami."

A metal pipe bolted to the room held bloody handcuffs while a dismembered hand was lying on the ground.

A hand that once belonged to Merle Dixon.

The rest of the oldest Dixon was nowhere to be found.

Kagome let a sad tear fall down her face. 'Oh Merle,' she thought in dreadfulness as she stared at the missing Dixon's dismembered hand. But that suddenly led to another thought, 'Wait, if it's just his hand, then where's Merle?'

Daryl allowed his emotions to get the better of him and quickly aimed his crossbow at T-Dog's face.

T-Dog's eyes widened in fear, thinking that the hunter was going to shoot and kill him.

Rick retaliated by pointing his gun at Daryl's head, "I won't hesitate. I don't care if every Walker in the city hears it," he cautioned, keeping his finger on the gun's trigger.

"Oh for the love of Kami! We don't have time for this," Kagome scolded before she walked over to stand next to the three men. "Merle's not up here. So that means he's got to be in the building somewhere and he needs help."

With that in mind, Daryl lowered his cross bow. He looked over at the discarded hand and then back at T-Dog. "You got a do-rag or something?" he asked muttering.

Confused by the request but still wanting to oblige, T-Dog reached his pocket and pulled out a bandana. Daryl snatched the bandana from T-Dog's hand and went over to Merle's discarded hand. "Guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs...Ain't that a bitch," Daryl commented as picked up the hand and wrapped in the bandana.

No one commented on the action.

'He's doing what makes sense right now,' Kagome figured as she watched Daryl stuff the hand into Glenn's bag.

Daryl looked over at her, and was secretly grateful that she held no judgment in her eyes.

Kagome gave a single nod before she gestured to the ground, "There's not a lot of blood. There would have been a lot when Merle cut his hand off."

"He must have used a tourniquet," Daryl figured, "Maybe his belt."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "He was probably delirious when he decided to do it. Otherwise he would have just cut off his thumb and slip out of the cuffs. Even breaking his thumb would have been a better idea." All of the men glanced over at her with a raised brow, "What? It would have been."

Daryl looked at the pool of blood and saw the bits of blood trail going to the direction of a different door on the roof. The group followed the bloody trail through the building. Quietly calling out Merle's name every so often. Taking down a few Walkers as they did so.

This continued until they found a few Walkers that looked like they've been killed recently.

"Had enough energy to take out these son of bitches," Daryl commented as he gestured the dead Walkers. A bloody tool was sitting next to the bodies. The obvious 'murder' weapon.

"He did this all one handed?" Kagome asked impressed. 'Sesshōmaru fought Inuyasha with just one arm with no problem. But Merle is only human and was able to do this much damage...That's amazing.'

Daryl nodded, "Toughest asshole I ever met my brother," he praised as he reloaded his crossbow, "Feed him a hammer and he'd crap nails."

"Any man can pass out from blood loss," Rick stated to the hunter, "No matter how tough he is."

"You'd be amazed what adrenalin and self-preservation can make you do," Kagome commented as she picked up the bloody tool and placed it in the tool box that T-Dog was carrying. 'We promised Dale we'd bring them back.'

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Souta looked over at Sophia, who was sitting quietly underneath a tree as she read a book that he couldn't see the title of.

He sat next to her and made a head gesture towards the book.

"It's the first Harry Potter book," Sophia told him the title, "You ever read it?"

Souta shook his head no.

"It's pretty good," she commented while smiling at him. Souta responded by nudging her shoulder and turned his head to her family's tent.

Carol and Ed were inside of it, the obedient wife tending to her abusive husbands wounds.

Sophia understood Souta's unspoken question: He was asking her how she felt about her father being injured.

Sophia wrapped her arms around herself as a reflex. Her father was very angry after Shane had beaten him up earlier that afternoon for slapping her mother in front of everyone.

Her mother was frantic.

Sophia was terrified...And yet she was kind of relieved.

Seeing her father's weakened state made Sophia realize that her father may have been older and taller than her, but he was still mortal. Her mother must have seen it too. She had snapped at her dad for a rude comment he made, something she wouldn't have dared done in the past. 'Maybe we can leave Daddy for good this time,' Sophia hoped.

Souta nudged Sophia, since she didn't answer his question.

"I'm okay," she finally answered, "He hasn't hurt Mama or...Done anything to me."

The youngest Higurashi fists clenched, 'I don't want that bastard to touch her,' he thought bravely to himself. He cared about Sophia a lot, and he want to see her get hurt.

"Oooh, lookie here," Morales praised as Andrea and Amy walked into camp carrying dozens of caught fish. Lori began applauding for the delightful treat. "Ladies, because of you my children will eat tonight. Thank you" Morales said to the blonds in appreciation.

Amy smiled at the compliment and walked over to Souta. "You okay, little guy?" she asked him. Sophia giggled at the nickname making the young Higurashi blush before he nodded yes. He didn't like being referred to as 'little', especially in front of Sophia.

Amy couldn't help but chuckle at the action.

Dale suddenly came walking to the group of people.

"Dale when was the last time you oiled those reels? They're a disgrace" Andrea said trying teasing him.

Dale didn't respond to her question, having more important issues to discuss. "I don't want to alarm anyone...But we might have a problem." He gestured to a ridge that shielded the Quarry. On top of the ridge, Jim's figure was digging big multiple holes into the ground.

They looked like freshly dug graves, ready to accept the bodies.

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The group continued to follow the bloody trail until they reached a kitchen.

A stove burner was lit to full blast.

Kagome gaged at the familiar smell of burnt flesh, and covered her mouth to keep herself from being sick.

"You okay?" Glenn asked her in concern.

Kagome eventually nodded but kept her mouth covered, not wanting to risk puking.

Glenn looked back over at the burnt plate, "What is that burnt stuff?"

Luckily Rick was the one who answered, "Skin...Merle cauterized the stump."

Glenn looked from the plate, to Kagome, then back to the plate in realization, "Oh."

Daryl looked at the scene with a hint of relief, "I told you he was tough. No one can kill Merle but Merle"

"No kidding," Kagome said while regaining her composure back.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Rick stated to Daryl.

The hunter took one look around the room and saw a busted window with blood dripping on the edge, "Didn't stop him from getting out of this death trap."

Glenn widened his eyes at the window, "He left the building," he loudly whispered, "Why would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl replied, "He's out there alone. As far as he knows."

Kagome looked over at Rick, "We have to go look for him. He can't be that far in his condition."

Rick thought it over before looking at her and the hunter, "Now look."

"Ah hell no," Daryl snapped at the officer, thinking that he didn't want to go after Merle. "I'm goin' to get him!" he yelled trying to head out the window.

Rick pushed the hunter back stopping him, "Daryl wait."

"Get your hands off me!" Daryl warned him.

"Calm down," Kagome told Daryl, placing her hand on his arm.

"Neither of you can stop me!" he snapped at her, but didn't shove hand off of him.

Rick tried to keep his tone even, "I don't blame you," he told Daryl. "He's family, I get that. I fought through hell trying to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." Daryl didn't comment on what the officer said. "Like Kagome said, Merle couldn't get very far on that injury. We'll help you look around a couple of blocks. But we need to keep a level head."

Daryl took a moment to consider the offer, "I can do that," he finally replied.

T-Dog tilted his head back in frustration before sighing heavily, "I'll do it only if we get those guns first. I ain't going out there on those streets with just my good intentions."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

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"Are you out of your mind?!" Kagome questioned Glenn after he explained the plan to get the bag of guns off the street.

"You're not doing this alone," Rick stated.

Daryl snorted, "Even I think it's a dumb idea. And I don't even like you much."

Glenn rolled his eyes, "It's a good idea, just hear me out," he replied before looking at the diagram on the floor to explain the plan again. "If we go out there in a group, we'll be slow and cause attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast. Look," he pointed to a paper clip, "Here's the tank, five blocks from where we are. And this is the bag of guns," he threw in a small crumpled piece of paper. "That ally where I first met Rick, that's where Kagome, Daryl and I will go."

"Why us?" Daryl asked him.

"Because your crossbow and her bow are quieter than Rick's gun," Glenn explained, "While they both wait in the ally, I'll go grab the bag of guns."

"What about me and T-Dog?" Rick asked.

"You'll be here," Glenn pointed on the diagram on a different street.

Rick raised a brow, "Two blocks away? Why?"

"I might not be able to go back the same way I came. I could be cut off by Walkers," Glenn explained, "In that case, I'll go forward instead of back. No matter what happens, I'll have you in both places to cover me. Then we'll all meet back here."

"Hey kid, what'da used to do before all this?" Daryl asked curiously, wanting to know how someone like him became an expert about something like this.

"Delivered pizzas," he answered, "Why?"

The priestess rolled her eyes before she remembered how she was only a middle school student when she traveled in the feudal era. 'Who am I to talk?' she thought to herself. "I still think you're crazy," she couldn't help but voice out to Glenn.

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Glenn, Daryl and Kagome went from the roof of the building to the ally way where Glenn first ran into Rick in Atlanta.

"You got some balls for a Chinamen," Daryl stated as he readied his crossbow.

Glenn looked at the hunter hesitantly, "I'm Korean."

"Whatever," Daryl replied, not really caring.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the exchange. 'He's trying so hard to be just like his brother...I wonder how long I'll be until he realizes that's not going happen,' she thought before she hid behind a few garbage cans, while Daryl and Glenn hid behind a big dumpster. Kagome pulled an arrow from her quiver and placed it on the bow, ready to fire if necessary, "It's now or never Glenn." The Korean boy nodded before he ran into the streets. "Kamis protect him," she muttered under her breath.

Glenn wasn't gone a full minute when everything started to go wrong.

A young Hispanic man was walking down the alley where Kagome and Daryl were waiting. Kagome could sense that he wasn't a threat, 'But he will be if he attracts Walkers,' she concluded as she aimed the bow and arrow at the boy. "Stop right there," she warned him, noticing he was a lot younger then her.

"Hey, whoa," the unknown young man held up his hands in surrender, "Don't shoot me."

Daryl came out of his hiding spot and pointed the crossbow at the boy.

"What do you want?" the young man asked in terror.

"I'm looking for my brother," Daryl stated, crossbow still aimed and ready to fire, "He's hurt real bad. Have you seen him?"

Instead of answering, the young man began to scream, "Ayudame! Ayudame!"

"Shh," Kagome shushed him, as she turned and pointed her arrows at a few Walkers that heard the unknown Hispanic yell. **"Moron,"** she muttered in Japanese as she shot an arrow at a Walker coming into the ally way. The Walker fell to the ground as the arrow went right through its eye, stabbing it right in the brain.

"Ayudame!" the young man screamed again in Spanish.

In frustration, Daryl smacked him in the face with the back of his crossbow. The young man collapsed to the ground. "Shut up," he warned the young man while he covered his mouth to keep him from screaming anymore.

"Daryl!" Kagome yelled as two living men came running into the alley way. 'There friends of the boy,' she realized at the way they came at her and Daryl. One of the men tried to hit her but she managed to dodge him, and kick him at his side causing him to kneel down. The second man got lucky hit and punched the priestess in the face and then her stomach, causing Kagome to fall to the ground.

Daryl saw Kagome in distress and rushed over to help her. Unfortunately, the first man recuperated from Kagome's attack stood in front of the hunter and began beating to the ground with an aluminum bat.

Suddenly, Glenn ran into the ally with the bag of guns in hand, and his eyes widened in horror as his friends were on the ground groaning in pain.

"Vato, that's the bag," the man with the bat told his friend once they spotted Glenn.

The large man rushed over toward Glenn, causing him to instinctively run in the opposite direction.

Suddenly, a car drove into the street. More men got out of the car and surrounded Glenn, but not before he dropped the bag of guns.

Daryl managed to shoot his crossbow at one of the men, hitting him in the ass.

Regrettably, it didn't stop them from taking Glenn captive.

"Daryl! Kagome!" Glenn begged for them to help him, but they were too disoriented to rescue him in time.

The car drove off, taking Glenn with them as their hostage.

"Come back here, you sumbitches!" Daryl yelled after the group of men, pressing against the gate of the ally way. He would have gone further but the Walkers, who were drawn by all the noise, started going into the ally way. Daryl had no choice but to close off the ally with the gated fence door.

Kagome groaned as she got up from the ground, leaning against the wall to stand up straight. 'Oh no. They have Glenn,' she thought of her friend with worry, as she winced from the pain.

The hunter's eyes went to Kagome, taking a good look at her beaten form. Daryl and his brother may have been assholes, but they never hit women and considered anyone who did as scum of the earth. And seeing Kagome beaten and bleeding, made Daryl glare at the boy who started all this.

The boy was struggling to get off the ally floor and noticed the hunter was staring at him with murdering eyes.

Daryl began to charge at the boy, and started beating him, 'I'll kill the sumbitch!'

And he would have, if Rick and T-Dog didn't run into the ally way at that moment.

"Hey hey," Rick warned Daryl, pushing him away from the boy, "Stop it."

"Oh shit," T-Dog saw Kagome's appearance, "You okay?" he asked, trying to keep the boy from running anywhere by pinning him against the wall.

Kagome nodded but was still wincing, "I'll be fine." She would have stopped Daryl but was finding it difficult to even stand.

"It was him," Daryl told the others, as he pointed to the boy, "It was him and his little bastard homie friends that did that to her! They took Glenn too! I'm gonna stomp your ass!" he threatened the boy.

"Guys," T-Dog pointed to the growing herd of Walkers, "We're cut off on that end."

"Back to the building," Rick ordered as he grabbed the bag of guns.

T-Dog dragged the young man in the direction of the office building.

Kagome struggled to walk, but was able to move faster once Daryl came to her side and helped her run.

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Back at the Quarry, the group managed to calm Jim down. He ended up getting heat stroke from being in the hot sun too long when he dug all those holes.

What he had said and did, frightened the group.

Luckily, they managed to subdue Jim long enough to bring him back to camp and got him in the shade and gave him some water.

Carl, Sophia, and Souta were all doing their school work books as some of the grownups helped Jim.

"I'm sorry if I scared your boy," Jim told Lori and Carol, who were with the children. "And your little girl...You too, son," he said the last part to Souta.

The young Higurashi wasn't particularly scared of what Jim was doing. After seeing a flesh eating mask back in Japan and watching your mother being torn to pieces, a man digging holes for no reason didn't seem all that scary.

"You had sun stoke," Lori replied in understanding, "Nobody is blaming you."

"You're not scared now are you?" Jim asked the children.

Souta shook his head as his answer.

"No sir," Sophia answered politely.

Jim nodded in relief, "Lori's right. Sun just cooked my head, is all." Dale asked Jim why he had been digging the holes. He replied by saying that he honestly didn't remember, but it had something to do with a dream that he had last night. "Your dad and your sister were in the dream," Jim admitted to the boys. "You both were worried about them. Can't remember the rest...You worried about them?"

Carl nodded, "They're not back yet."

Lori didn't want the children to worry about their loved ones not being back yet, "We don't need to talk about that."

"Your dad is a police officer, son," Jim continued, "He helps people. He probably just came across some folks who needed help, is all...Your sister's a good person too," he told Souta, "Wouldn't turn her back on people who need help...There ain't nothing that's going to stop them from getting back here."

Souta couldn't help but fiddle with the Jewel around his neck, 'I hope he's right.'

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Rick glared at the young man, "Those men you were with, we need to know where they went."

The young Hispanic snorted, "I ain't telling you nothing."

Daryl was pacing back and forth in the small room occasionally glancing at Kagome's injured face, which was being treated by T-Dog with a ripped damp piece of Kagome's shirt. The fact that they were only talking to the boy was pissing him off.

"What the hell happened back there?" T-Dog asked Daryl and Kagome.

"I told you," Daryl yelled in anger, "This little turd and his douchebag friends came out of nowhere and jumped us. Who the hell hits a woman like that anyway?! Huh?!"

"I'm fine," Kagome told him, taking the piece of cloth from T-Dog, "And you're hurt too." She didn't want the men to worry about her, especially with Glenn missing. Kagome didn't understand why Daryl was so mad about her getting hurt, 'He was the one that was beaten with a bat.'

The boy glared at both of them, "It was the both of you that jumped me, puto. Screaming at me about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault."

"All he asked is if you'd seen his brother," Kagome corrected in annoyance, "Then you called out for your friends, bringing every Walker in the street on us, instead of answering a simple yes or no question. His friends wanted the guns too."

Daryl nodded, "These people took Glenn. They could've taken Merle too."

"Merle?" the boy said the name as if it were the stupidest thing in the world. "What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."

Daryl tried to punch the boy in the face, but Rick stopped him, "Damn it, back off!"

Instead, the hunter thought of a tactic to scare the boy into talking to them. "You want to see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" he asked the boy as he reached into Glenn's backpack, bringing out Merle's severed hand. Daryl tossed the hand to the boy, who shrieked away in fear. "I'll start with the feet this time," he stated as if he'd made up his mind.

Rick pushed Daryl away from the young Hispanic man again.

Kagome grabbed Merle's discarded hand and wrapped it in the bandana again. She couldn't say she agreed with the tactic, but it sure scared the boy enough to tell them where his friends were hiding. Before they left, Kagome rewrapped Merle's dismembered hand and put in her backpack.

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"You sure you're both up for this?" Rick asked T-Dog and Kagome. They both nodded, before Rick handed him the rifles from the gun bag.

Armed and ready, T-Dog and Kagome took their places on a building roof, near the entrance of the men's hide out. Rick ordered them to wait there just in case things went bad.

"You up for this?" T-Dog asked as he took a position to aiming the gun at the entrance.

Kagome gave a hesitant look, "I've never shot a gun in my life...But these men don't know that."

T-Dog snorted, "Can shoot a damn bow, but a gun's a big no no?"

"Sh-shut up," she said in embarrassment while sitting near him, mimicking his movements about aiming the rifle.

A group of men suddenly came out of the garage door, two of them Kagome recognized as the men who attacked in the ally way. The man in the middle came up to speak to Rick, 'He must be the leader,' Kagome figured. Rick wanted to make a simple deal: Trade both kidnapped men and walk away.

A few words were exchanged until Rick gestured to T-Dog and Kagome's position.

"Come on, man," T-Dog begged, "Make the trade. Please."

"Jorge," the leader called out to the roof of another building. Two men were holding Glenn on the edge, his hands were bound and his mouth was covered with duct tape.

"No," Kagome whimpered in distress.

That's when she sensed something.

These men...Their souls...They weren't the souls of cold blooded killers.

They felt far from that.

Their souls felt strong and protective...They had no intention of killing but they will if they have to.

'What is going on?' she wondered feeling very muddled.

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The Atlanta group retreated into the office building once more with the boy, whose name they learned was Miguel, in two.

The leader Guillermo altered the trade. They would get Glenn back for Miguel AND the guns.

"Them guns are worth more than gold," Daryl pointed out to Rick as he gathered half the artillery and put them in a separate bag. "Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table."

Miguel's body shifted at the last thing Daryl had said, which didn't go unnoticed by Kagome.

"You gonna give those guns up for that kid?" Daryl asked Rick. Not because he didn't think Rick shouldn't do it, but just to see just what kind of man Rick was.

T-Dog was contemplating the situation as well "If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree. But do you think that Vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?"

"You calling G a liar?" Miguel snapped at T-Dog.

"You shut up," Daryl warned the boy.

Kagome kept Miguel's words and actions in mind as she continued to study him. 'He's acting tough but he's very loyal. And he's defensive...But what are he and the others protecting?' she wondered before coming to a realization, 'Or maybe it's not a what?'

"You a part of this?" Daryl continued, "You want to hold on to your teeth?" he asked smacking Miguel across the head.

Daryl, Rick and T-Dog continued talking while Kagome walked over to where Miguel was sitting and kneeled down in front of him. She looked him in the eyes, studying them.

Miguel grew uncomfortable with her gaze, "What do you want?" he spat.

Kagome didn't respond.

"Get away from him," Daryl ordered and tried to drag her away by the arm.

Kagome yanked her arm back, never taking her eyes off Miguel. It was a few more moments before she spoke, "What are you hiding?"

Miguel raised a brow, "What'cha talking about chica?"

"You," she answered, "Your group. You're hiding something in that building. Whatever it is, you and those men were willing to go down fighting to keep it safe. Now what are you hiding?" Miguel turned his gaze over to Rick, Daryl and T-Dog, who looked confused by her questions. "Look at me, not them," Kagome ordered Miguel, "Look me in the eye and answer the question."

Miguel kept his mouth shut, refusing to speak.

That was all Kagome needed.

She stood up and walked over to her group. "Those men have family members inside. That's why they want the guns," Kagome stated.

"No we don't," Miguel spat out, responding a little too quickly and nervously.

Rick looked over at Miguel after his reaction. It made Kagome's theory more believable. But still, "You sure about that?" he couldn't help but ask.

Kagome nodded, "Would you act any differently than them if it were Lori and Carl?"

"Are you crazy?" Daryl snapped at her, "These sumbitches were gonna throw Glenn off the damn roof!"

Before she could respond, Rick interrupted them, "Either way, until we know for sure, we stick to the plan."

The men began to load the guns.

"Oh come on this is nuts," Miguel told them, "Just do what G says."

Kagome looked at Miguel desperately, "If there's something you want to share, now would be the time to tell us." Miguel once again shut his mouth. "Idiot," she mumbled before hoping that this is one of those times that she was wrong.

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The Atlanta group tied Miguel's arms behind his back and covered his mouth so he wouldn't scream. They all marched back to the Guillermo's hide out.

Rick kept a gun pointed to Miguel's back, to make sure he didn't make a break for it.

Kagome hated this. Carrying a gun. Gambling men's lives and possibly innocent ones too. 'There has to be another way.'

Guillermo looked at the Atlanta group, "I see my guns. But they're not all in the bag," he pointed out the ones the Atlanta group was carrying.

"That's because they're not yours," Rick told him sternly, "I'm sure I mentioned that."

Felipe, the big man from the ally that Daryl shot, looked at Guillermo pissed off. "Let's just shoot these fools right now, **ese**."

Guillermo considered it, before looking back at Rick, "I don't think grasp the gravity of the situation."

"No, I'm pretty clear," Rick stated, as he freed Miguel and pushed him toward his group. "You have your man, I want mine."

Guillermo glared at Rick, "You know what? I'm gonna chop up your boy and feed him to my dogs. They're the meanest bitches you ever saw. Picked them up from Satan at a yard sale," he bragged, "I told you how it has to be. Are you woefully deaf?"

"G wait," Miguel spoke up after taking out the gag in his mouth, "The chica knows."

Guillermo looked at Kagome before he turned to his youngest member, "Knows what?"

"About the others," Miguel answered him.

Before another word could be spoken, an elderly woman's voice was heard.

"Felipe!" the old Hispanic woman with a thick accent came walking into the room. Unafraid of all the muscular men. "Felipe!"

Felipe looked at the woman nervously, "Abuela, go back with the others, now," he urged her.

Daryl glared at the men, "Get that old lady out of the line of fire!"

Kagome immediately lowered her gun. There was no way she was going to start shooting with an elderly woman in the room.

"Abuela," Guillermo spoke softly to the elderly woman, "Listen to your mi hijo, okay? This isn't the place for you right now."

The older woman looked over at Felipe desperately, "Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing. He needs his asthma stuff. We can't find it. He needs his medicine."

Guillermo cursed under his breath, "Felipe go take care of it," he ordered, "And take your grandmother with you."

That's when the elderly woman turned her gaze to Rick, noticing his police uniform. "Who are these people?" Felipe spoke to the woman in Spanish, trying to stop her form walking toward Rick. "Don't you take him," she scolded the officer, "Felipe's a good boy. We need him here."

The Atlanta group looked at one another in confusion.

"Umm ma'am," Rick spoke nonthreateningly, "I'm not here to arrest your grandson."

Kagome walked over to the elderly woman and gave her a kind smile, "We're looking for our friend, ma'am. His name's Glenn. Have you seen him?" she asked politely.

"The Asian boy?" the woman replied, "Si **,** he's with Mr. Gilbert. Come, come, I show you," she grabbed Kagome's hand and began to drag her through the group of muscular men.

All eyes turned to Guillermo, silently asking him what they should do.

Guillermo sighed, "Let'em pass," he said in defeat.

Daryl, Rick and T-Dog followed Kagome as she was being dragged by the elderly woman into a court yard

"What's your name, niña?" the woman asked.

"Kagome," she replied politely.

"You related to Asian boy, no?" the woman asked.

Kagome shook her head, "No ma'am. He's just a friend. Our group needs him just like you need Felipe."

The elderly woman nodded in understanding as they walked into a building that used to be a nursing home for the elderly.

The more Daryl looked around and saw Kagome speak with the elderly woman, the more amazed he was by it all. All around you saw young and tough looking people taking care of the elderly, who he assumed resided here before the world went to hell. 'You've got to be kiddin',' he thought in irritation, 'China Doll was right.'

They continued walking until they reached a group of elderly people surrounding a man in a chair who was having trouble breathing. Among that group was Glenn, safe and sound.

Rick looked at the group in confusion, "What the hell is this?" he asked Glenn.

"Asthma attack," Glenn explained, "He couldn't catch his breath all of the sudden."

"We thought you were being eaten by dogs," T-Dog stated.

Small barking came from the side of the room, coming from one of three chihuahua dogs.

Rick huffed out a breath of frustration before looking at Guillermo. "Could I have a word with you?" he gritted through his teeth.

Guillermo nodded as he guided the Atlanta group into a back room.

Before Kagome could follow them, she was stopped by the man who had punched her in the face in the ally. "I need to apologize," he told her, "I don't hit women. But when I saw my friend being attacked and you with the guns, we just."

"I understand," Kagome interrupted, giving him a forgiving smile before she went into the room with her group.

"What are you? Doctors?" Rick asked Guillermo.

He shook his head, "Felipe's a nurse. Me, I'm the custodian." Guillermo's gaze turned to Kagome after she walked in. "Miguel said you knew about the old ones. How?"

"It was a hunch," she said honestly, "I've seen what bad people look like. And I've seen what evil looks like too...You and those men were neither."

Daryl looked at Kagome, wondering what she meant. 'Does this have to do with the scars?' he wondered.

"The rest of your crew," Rick brought the attention off of Kagome, "Where did they come from?"

"The Vatos drop in to check on their parents and their grandparents," Guillermo explained, "They see how things are and decided to stay. It's a good thing too. We need the muscle...The people we've encountered since the world fell apart...The worst kind. Plunderers, the kind that take by force."

The Atlanta group winced at the thought.

Rick nodded, "That's not who we are."

"How was I to know?" Guillermo pointed out. "You showed up with Miguel hostage and attacked one of my men...Appearances."

T-Dog shook his head, "Guess the world changed."

"No," Guillermo disagreed, "It's the same as it ever was. The weak get taken...The Vatos, they work on the cars, talking about getting the old ones out of here. Most of them can't get to the bathroom by themselves, so it's just a dream...Still it keeps them busy, that's worth something. So we bared the windows and weld the doors shut except for one entrance. The Vatos go out scavenge what they can and keep us alive. We guard the perimeter and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now...I don't even know why."

Rick couldn't help but contemplate the same thing about his own group at the Quarry, "Because they can," he said simply before handing over his rifle to Guillermo.

Kagome followed Rick's example and laid down her own rifle. 'It's not like I know how to use it anyway.'

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"Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat," Glenn began pestering Rick.

They had left the nursing home a half hour ago and were now heading back to the delivery van to search the city for Merle.

Rick snickered at the Korean, "Don't tell anyone," he joked as he put on his deputy hat.

Daryl glanced over at Rick as they walked, "You've given away half our guns and ammo."

"Not nearly half," Rick corrected.

"For what?" Daryl asked, "Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow?"

"He did the right thing, Daryl," Kagome pointed out.

The hunter was skeptical, "Still, how long do ya think they got?"

"How long do any of us have?" Rick questioned back.

"Okay," T-Dog spoke up looking at Kagome, "Be honest, how did you know about the old folks?"

"I didn't," she answered truthfully, "I just know bad people when I see them."

"How?" Glenn couldn't help but ask.

Kagome looked back at him with a serious neutral face, "Trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Before they could question Kagome further, the group suddenly paused after they realized something was missing near the railroad tracks.

"Oh my God," Glenn said in a panic.

"Where the hell's our van?!" Daryl demanded to know, seeing their only ride gone.

"Who would take it?" Glenn questioned.

Kagome had an idea and so did Rick, "Merle," he muttered.

Daryl looked at the group hesitantly, "He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp."

Kagome's eyes widened in fear, "Souta," she said under her breath as she began to sprint past the gate and back towards the camp. The beating she took earlier that day was forgotten. All Kagome could think about was Merle possibly putting her brother and the other people at camp in danger.

Daryl, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog, followed quickly behind her.

It was nightfall by the time they got remotely close to camp.

That's when they heard it.

The screaming and gun fire.

"Oh Kami," Kagome muttered, as she paused to absorb what was happening.

"Go go," Rick urged the group to go on.

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Souta couldn't even remember how it happened.

It all went by so fast.

One minute everyone was enjoying a fish fry near the fire.

The next people were screaming.

Walkers had invaded their camp.

Amy, who was coming out of the RV, was bitten in the arm. She screamed in agony from the pain as a Walker began to chew a piece of her neck.

The sight made Souta freeze.

He couldn't see Amy anymore, all he saw was his mother's face being ripped apart by the undead things that were surrounding him now.

"Souta!" Carol called out to the boy, with Sophia in her arms. "Souta come this way!" she urged him towards the RV.

The young Higurashi didn't listen.

To terrified by this sight before him.

'Where's Kagome?' he thought, 'She's supposed to be here to stop this.'

Guns were shooting all around, along with the sounds of bats or other objects hitting the bodies of Walkers.

Andrea cried out for her sister and shielded her body from any more attacks.

Souta was so engulfed by the scene, he didn't notice a male walker coming towards him, ready to munch on his flesh.

Suddenly a bolt shot through the Walkers head, making it collapse in front of Souta. The thud of the Walkers body finally broke Souta out of his trance.

"Souta!" Kagome yelled out as she shot arrows at all the Walkers in her way. She rushed her way over to her brother and placed him behind her. "I got you," she told him as she shot more arrows at the Walker's heads.

Rick, T-Dog, Glenn and Daryl continued to fire on all the Walkers till they were all gone.

It was over.

But at a great cost.

Many of the campers were dead.

People looked at the ground of bodies in horror.

Kagome looked at the dead Walker that had almost claimed her brother and saw a familiar bolt sticking out its head. She quickly turned to Daryl and gave him an appreciative nod. 'He saved Souta's life,' she thought gratefully.

The hunter did nothing to acknowledge the action.

Kagome's gaze turned to her dying friend, Amy. 'No,' she whimpered inwardly as she fell to her knees in despair as the memories of Inuyasha and Sango's death came to her mind.

Inuyasha bleeding on the forest floor.

And the brutal murder of Sango.

'No,' she began to cry, 'Not my friend...Not again.'

Jim looked around the camp in ruin, "I remember my dream now...Why I dug the holes."

 **I hated not saving Amy. She was a good friend to Kagome, but my brain said it had to be done. And I obey my lord and master. So what do you think? Next Time: Burying the dead, saying good bye, and arriving at the CDC.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	5. On Edge

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Sooooo, my first reaction when Negan was FINALLY introduced: *insert crazy fangirl scream here* My reaction after the end of the season finale: o.o *insert long list of swear words here***

 **To my reviewers:**

 **linx007: I honestly don't blame you. I had to think long and hard about whichh characters would live or die in this fic. Unfortunately, and as much as it pains me to say it, Amy's death in the show and for this fic was a necessary one. Why? Because of Andrea. As much as I dislike this character, a lot of her actions make some of the most memorable events of the first few seasons of the Walking Dead possible. And a majority of Andrea's actions are all because she lost her sister and is trying to find a new purpose to live.**

 **yourworldismine: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. As for the last part...All in good time.**

 **MOONWOLF1234: Thank you, I will definitely try.**

 **masterbroly: I'm glad you enjoy it. And the group will find out when the time is right...Just not for a while.**

 **Spastic Freak: Yes, that was a fun little bit to write. People act so oddly whenever religion, that's not your own, is brought up in a conversation. And thank you, I'll do my best to stay true to that.**

 **White Alchemist Taya: You are absolutely right about Souta...And soon he will.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: Thank you so much. I work really hard to blend everything together while still trying to maintain the actual story line and characters. And it makes me happy to hear that you and others are enjoying it.**

 **MyworldMyImagination: I don't mind your questions at all. And I have read the first few issues of the Walking Dead comic, so I know it's completely different from the show. Like Shane not even making it to the farm for instance and Tyrese showing up way earlier then the prison. But since I haven't really read all of the issues of comic series, I can't use it for this fic. (Can't write about what you don't know I'm afraid) However, that doesn't mean that certain parts of the show won't change. Some characters will get saved while others may not. And certain events may be different due to some Inuyasha character interference. You'll have to read and see. As for the love triangle you mentioned, will it happen...Maaaybe *insert mischievous smile here* Anyway, the 'hanky panky' that you're waiting for won't happen for a while, so please be patient...Curse Daryl's awkward shyness to anything sexual! But we will have Kagome and Daryl cute moments to help sustain us all until then.**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: Just want you guys to have something to look forward to. And you are right. Honestly as I was re-watching the show I was like, 'Did they just leave Merle's hand there?' But Kagome repacking the hand would be something she would do and the reason why is shown in this chapter. And yes our favorite crossbow wielder is ever the observant one. *insert fangirl squeal here* Don't worry, there are a few Daryl/Kagome moments in this chapter.**

 **Alice (Guest): Umm...I'm not sure what to make of that.**

 **CK (Guest): Thanks, I'm glad you like it.**

 **lifelovelaugh: Ain't that the truth. I'll do my best to keep your interest in this pairing.**

 **Star (Guest): Firstly, You're absolutely right. I would love a beta. Anyone want the job? Second, you say my shout outs are unnecessary and take up a lot of space? Well that's your opinion and I'm sorry you feel that way. But if I want to take the time to acknowledge that I read reviews and check out the profiles of who leaves them and follow/favorited my fics and see their stuff, then that's what I'll do.**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: Wow, thank you so much. Hopefully I can hold your interest with my fic.**

 **Anon (Guest): Thank you so much.**

 **And thank you all for taking the time to review my fic. And a HUGE shout out to: drkstknght1969, Kakashi's hoe, , GreenRain7, NicoNepenthe, datawolf39, .GRAVE19, storylover30, Ahryielle, AnimeMoonlightGoddess, squad5 captian kagome aizen, Arisyne, Brisana151, signorUebelst, Moon Sorceress1, , wintermoon7, rayne-chan, Tubafox, lifelovelaugh,** **Sesshiesfangirl, Kitaluv, WeAllWearMasks, Emerald Isis, Obsessive-Jess, mineral121, Angel Of Darkness808, TheCrimsonAlchemist99, Deathangel499297, GiggleboxGirlie, sara69, CresentWolf1, Aplin, DayDreamNinja, Terreana**

Disclaimer: Me no own Inuyasha or Walking Dead. You no suing.

Chapter Five: On Edge

No one slept well that night at the Quarry.

Not with all of the dead bodies surrounding them.

The next morning after the attack, the adults began to gather the dead camp members and fallen Walkers.

All except for Andrea, who refused to leave her dead sister's side.

After dragging a few Walker bodies next to a fire to be burned, Kagome slowly walked over to the older blond woman and sat next to her. The priestess eyes were still puffy and red from her long hard cry from last night. "Amy is...was, a really great friend. Ever since I came here, she was always so kind to me...And I'm...I'm really going to miss her," she admitted, her voice cracking towards the end.

Andrea made no movement to indicate that she heard anything the priestess had said.

Not wanting to pressure Andrea to speak, Kagome brushed a piece of Amy's hair behind her ear. **"Farwell, my friend,"** she said to Amy in Japanese before standing back up and leaving Andrea to grieve.

Kagome had to bite back the sob that held in her throat, using all of her will power to not break down and cry again.

The priestess had seen too many people she'd known and loved die in front of her.

Both past and present.

Kagome didn't know how much more loss she could handle.

'Stop it,' she ordered herself, 'You can't afford to be emotional right now. You need to be strong for Souta,' Kagome repeated the phrase over and over to herself as she walked off to find her brother.

Souta was sitting with the other children, who were being watched by Morales's wife. The adults didn't want the children to see what they were doing.

Dragging dead bodies.

Burning Walkers.

Stabbing the dead camp members in the head...Just in case.

But it was impossible to shield the children from all of it.

"Souta," Kagome gently called out to her brother. The young Higurashi turned his face away from his sister. The priestess blinked in surprise by the action, "I wanted to check on you."

Her brother didn't turn around, refusing to acknowledge her.

Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Souta shoved his sister's hand away before he stormed over to their tent and zipped the door closed.

Morales's wife saw the whole thing and looked at Kagome with apologetic eyes.

"I can try talking to him Kagome," Sophia offered, wanting to help her friend.

The priestess smiled at the little girl and nodded yes, "Thank you, Sophia."

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Sophia found Souta in his tent with his knees drawn close to his chest, while resting his chin on them. He didn't acknowledge her, and stared at his sister's side of the tent with detest.

"Souta," Sophia called to him. He turned his face slightly away from her, "Souta it wasn't Kagome's fault."

Souta finally whipped his head to scowled and scowled, as if to say that his sister still should have been here.

"No one saw this coming," Sophia tried to reason with him. It was easier for her to tell what the young Higurashi was thinking after all this time.

Souta turned his head away from her again in response. He didn't want to listen to reason since he was far too angry.

Sophia sighed, wanting to help her friend but didn't know how. So she sat down next to him and stared at her feet. The tent was filled with silence for a few minutes until Sophia spoke again. "I'm glad he's dead," she admitted, almost in a whisper.

Souta's slowly turned his head towards her, wanting to know who she meant.

"My Dad...I'm glad he's gone," Sophia admitted a little louder, "He can't hurt me and Mama anymore." Souta started at the blond, as she turned to look at him. "Does that make me a bad person?" she couldn't help but ask.

The young Higurashi shook his head no. Sophia was the last person Souta believed could ever be considered bad.

Sophia gave a small smile at his silent answer. "Thanks Souta," she said gratefully, "And your sister isn't a bad person either," she added quickly.

Souta scowled at her again for mentioning Kagome and turned away from Sophia once more. 'I can't forgive Kagome,' he thought in fury, 'I won't.'

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"Everything okay?" Glenn asked Kagome as she came up to him, Daryl and T-Dog, who had all seen what had happened with her and Souta.

Kagome shook her head, "Is anything?"

The men looked around them, seeing the whole camp surrounded by the dead bodies of their group members and Walkers.

"Right," Glenn replied silently, realizing it was a stupid question.

Daryl went back to using his pick axe on the dead bodies. T-Dog, Glenn, and Kagome helped drag the bodies to a nearby fire to burn them.

They worked for a few minutes until they saw Andrea pull a gun on Rick, who wanted to deal with the Amy situation.

"I know how the safety works," the blond threatened the police officer.

Rick backed away, not wanting to set Andrea off. "Okay," he said while holding his hands up in surrender. When he was far enough away, Andrea turned back to Amy's body.

The adults of the camp, minus Andrea, huddled together.

"Ya'll can't be serious. You want that girl hamstrin' us," Daryl growled quietly, "That dead girl is a time bomb."

Kagome glared at the hunter, "That dead girl's name is Amy," she hissed, "That's Andrea's sister. We need to let her mourn in her own way."

"Like you let your brother mourn?" Daryl snapped back at her, "And how's that goin'?" he asked sarcastically.

It took all Kagome had not to slap the hunter for that comment, "Why you," she snarled in response.

"Enough," Rick stopped the priestess and hunter's bickering. "What do you suggest we do?" he asked Daryl.

"Take the shot," the hunter answered as if it were obvious. "Clean in the brain, right here. Hell I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance. God knows China Doll can do it."

Before Kagome could protest, Lori spoke up, "No. For God sakes let her be."

Daryl huffed in disappointment as he saw Rick and Shane give a silent nod of agreement. The hunter stormed away and continued to take care of the bodies.

Kagome was about to go help when she was stopped by Carol, "Kagome, you need to rest. You've been at this since early this morning."

"But I need to help," the priestess argued.

"You're exhausted," Rick tried to reason with her, "You were beaten and then you ran all the way here last night, you grieved for a friend, then barley stopped working since."

"I'm fine," Kagome tried to argue.

Lori shook her head, "Sweetie, let the men handle this."

Kagome rolled her eyes but didn't have the strength to keep fighting about it. Truth be told, she was very tired and wouldn't mind resting for a little while. She glanced over at her tent, knowing that Souta and Sophia were still inside.

"You can lay down in our tent," Lori offered, knowing Kagome's debacle.

"Thank you," she replied and started to head in that direction.

"A Walker got him!" Jacqui yelled to the camp, making Kagome turn around, "A Walker bit Jim!"

Immediately all eyes were on Jim, making him panic.

"Show it to us," Daryl demanded, while he and the other men at camp surrounded the possibly bitten man.

Jim instinctively grabbed a shovel, ready to fight in case someone tried to kill him. "Stay back," he warned everyone.

"Grab him," Shane ordered to the men.

T-Dog grabbed Jim from behind, making him drop the shovel.

"I'm okay," Jim told everyone and continued to chant the phrase, as Daryl lifted up the man's shirt and saw a large mouth bite on his torso. Once their suspicions were confirmed, the two men released Jim and backed away.

Kagome stared at the frightened look on Jim's face and began to pity him. Jim knew what being bit by a Walker meant. 'You die and then you come back as one of them.' Although she knew this, Kagome walked over to Jim, who was stumbling and continuing his chanting. "Come on," she encouraged, while grabbing his shoulder and guiding him next to the RV, "Let's go sit down for a while."

"Get the fuck away from him," Daryl snapped at the priestess, "He's been bit."

Kagome turned to glare at the hunter, "He's still a human being!" She and Daryl stared each other down for a few moments before Kagome continued to guide Jim away.

No one tried to stop her.

Kagome sat next to Jim as the rest of camp huddled together once again. Most likely talking about how to handle this situation.

"I'm okay," Jim kept chanting, "I'm okay."

The priestess shushed him and grabbed his hand in comfort, "Jim we," she tried to think of something to say that will be truthful. "We'll try to figure something out to help you."

Jim looked up at her, "I-I didn't want to die like this."

"I know Jim," Kagome replied, as Jim lowered his head onto her shoulder and wept, "I know."

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Daryl's irritation grew as he saw Jim getting to close to Kagome. 'Dumb bitch. That geek will bite her in the neck before she even knows it,' he thought in frustration. "I say we put a pick axe in Jim head and the dead girl's and be done with it."

"Is that what you would want for you?" Shane challenged him.

"Yah," Daryl answered without hesitation, "And I'd thank you while you did it."

Dale sighed, "I hate to say it, and I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right."

Rick shook his head, "Jim's not a monster Dale or some rabid dog. He's a sick man."

"I'm not suggesting that," Dale tried to explain before he was interrupted by Rick.

"If we start down that road where do we draw the line?" the former deputy argued.

Daryl snorted, "I'd say the line is pretty clear," he said as he took the pick axe and turned his eyes to Jim. "Zero tolerance for Walkers or the 'to be'."

"What if we can get him help?" Rick suggested, "I heard that the CDC was working on a cure."

Shane sighed "I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"What if the CDC is still up and running," Rick suggested once more.

"That's a stretch right there," Shane admitted to his friend.

"If there's any government or any structure left they'd protect the CDC at all cost," Rick reasoned to him and the rest of the group. "I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection, rescue," he listed to his best friend.

"We all want those things," Shane somewhat agreed with his partner, "But if they exist, they're at the army base in Fort Benning."

Lori shook her head, "That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction."

"But it's away from the hot zone," Shane reasoned his case, "If the place is operational, it'll be heavily armed and we'd be safe there."

Rick remained skeptical, "The army was in the front lines when this all went down. We've all seen that."

The group started to speak loudenough for Jim and Kagome to hear. Jim lifted his head up from Kagome's shoulder to hear the rest of the conversation.

The priestess struggled on who to agree with: Shane or Rick. In all honestly, she didn't know which place would be best for everyone. 'I don't care where we go, as long as Souta is someplace safe.'

Finally hearing enough of the two deputies fighting, Daryl snapped. "You go lookin' for aspirin, or do what you need to do," he snarled at Shane and Rick as he started making his way toward Jim. "Someone needs to have the balls to take care of this damn problem," he yelled as he readied his pick axe and made a beeline to Jim.

Kagome stood up and shielded Jim with her body, "Daryl stop!" she begged.

Rick quickly stormed over and aimed his gun at Daryl, making the hunter pause. "We don't kill the living," the former deputy stated.

Daryl glared at Kagome before turning to look at Rick, "That's funny comin' from a man pointin' a gun to my head."

Shane walked over and stood in front of Kagome and Jim, rifle in hand. "We might agree on some things, but not on this. Put it down," he ordered the hunter.

Daryl looked at both police officers in irritation before he dropped the pick axe and stormed off in anger.

Rick watched him go before he went over to help Jim stand up. Kagome was about to protest when Rick interrupted her, "I'm just going to take him inside the RV," he explained, "He'll be safer there."

Kagome nodded before allowing Rick to take Jim away.

The priestess gaze suddenly went to the hunter's retreating form. A part of her was angry with his extreme behavior toward both situations at the camp. 'Still,' Kagome thought as she rationalized how Daryl was feeling more anguish then anyone here at camp. He still has no idea about what happened to Merle, and there was no way of finding out where the oldest Dixon could have gone or if he survived the city.

With that in mind, the priestess let out an exasperated sigh, and went into the woods to do the only thing she could think of to help ease Daryl's grief.

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"Kagome," Sophia called over to the priestess gaining her attention an hour later.

The priestess was grateful to see her, "Hey. How's Souta?"

"He's angry," the girl answered in regret, "Sometimes I wish he'd actually talk to me."

Kagome looked down to the ground, "Me too."

Sophia could tell that Kagome was upset by Souta not being able to speak. The little girl couldn't help but wonder what Souta's voice sounded like and often questioned what he's thinking. 'It must be harder on Kagome,' Sophia thought to herself before the sight of her mother made her come out of her thoughts.

Carol was making her way toward Daryl, who was using a pick axe to hit the heads of more dead bodies.

Ed's body was among them.

"I'll do it," Carol said, interrupting Daryl's work before he strike Ed, "He's my husband."

Kagome could tell that Carol was about to do, and it was something that Sophia didn't need to witness. "Why don't you go and see what Carl's up to," she suggested to the little girl.

Sophia nodded as she quickly glanced at her mother's determined face, before walking away to find Carl.

Kagome and Daryl watched as Carol rammed the pick axe into Ed's head. Carol let out a small cry before she lifted up the axe and hit Ed again. She continued to strike her dead husband, letting all her emotions fly out with ever swing of the axe.

Daryl glanced over at Kagome, silently asking her what he should do. Thinking that they should leave Carol alone, the priestess gestured for the hunter to follow her.

"I want to show you something," Kagome told Daryl as she pointed to the woods and began to walk in that direction.

The hunter was confused by the request, since he'd done nothing but snap at the priestess since they returned to camp. Still, Daryl followed her with curiosity.

Kagome kept walking until she came to a tree that had three rocks stacked into a shrine shape. A small hole dug in the front of the shrine with small pebbles in the front making the letter 'M'

Daryl saw this and raised a brow.

"It's for Merle, in hope that you'll find him," Kagome explained as she picked up Merle's hand that she left next to the shrine, which was still wrapped in the bandana. She gave Daryl his brother's discarded hand, which he accepted silently.

This woman continued to confuse Daryl to no end.

"Why?" he asked, wanting to know why she even bothered.

"Merle was a jerk," Kagome replied, "But he's your brother and I want you to find him...I know that you're angry at the others for what happened. But I wanted you to know that you're not alone."

Daryl looked from Kagome to the shrine. He couldn't understand why she did this for Merle of all people. Sure, they were civil toward each together at camp, 'But to do this?' the hunter thought bewildered.

For all of Daryl's life, it had been just him and Merle against the world. Now that he was gone, Daryl was at loss of what to do.

Should he stay with this group or leave and be on his own?

But as he looked back up at Kagome, the hunter slowly began to realize that he didn't want to leave. 'At least not yet,' Daryl thought as he went to the shrine and buried Merle's hand. When he was finished, they both stared silently at the shrine, praying that they'll find Merle someday.

The silence was eventually broken by Daryl, "You're face still hurt?" he asked sounding sincerely concerned.

Kagome blinked and turned to him in surprise, "N-not really...I've had worse."

Daryl didn't comment since the scars on her back flashed into his mind, so he only nodded in reply.

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It wasn't long until Amy had changed into a Walker. After Andrea said her goodbyes, she shot her undead sister in the head. Afterwards, the camp buried their dead, holding a mourning service for those that died yesterday. Even Souta came out of the tent long enough to pay his respects.

Kagome said a small prayer to the innocent people, both for the camp members and the Walkers. 'They were human once too.'

When the funeral was over, Shane made an announcement to the camp. "I've been thinking about Rick's plan," he began, "There, uhh, there are no guarantees either way, I'll be the first to admit that...But I've known this man for a long time. And I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is that we need to stay together. So for those of you who agree, we leave first thing in the morning."

Kagome looked at the camp members, all of them considering Shane's proposal. Some of them looked convinced, while others were still unsure. The priestess glanced over at her little brother who walked away to be with Sophia and Carol.

"You goin' to the CDC?" Daryl asked Kagome as they both headed back toward their tents.

She shrugged, "I don't know where else Souta and I could go. The rest of our family and friends are an entire ocean away...If there's a small chance that there's a safe place for Souta to be in this world, I'll take him there."

Daryl gave a small nod in understanding, "Look, what I said about your brother."

"It's okay," she tried to interrupt him.

"Will you shut up and let me talk," he snapped, making Kagome blink in surprise. It took a moment for Daryl to calm down and finally mutter, "M'sorry."

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the hunter's fidget expression. It was obvious that Daryl didn't apologize very often, so the fact he was doing it now made it feel more genuine. "Thank you, Daryl," she replied in appreciation.

Without another word, they both went to their tents with content smiles on their faces.

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In the morning, everyone began to pack up their belongings into their cars.

The Morales family announced that they were not going to the CDC. The camp was sad to see them go, and the children were upset about losing their friends. Louis and Eliza gave Kagome and Souta two large hugs and told them goodbye.

When the farewells were over, Kagome went over to Souta, "So Dale said that we can ride in the RV with him or we could." Souta walked away from her and went inside Carol's yellow car. "Or you could do that," she finished to herself in mild frustration.

"He's still upset," Lori stated the obvious.

Kagome nodded, "He doesn't want to be anywhere near me."

Rick saw the exchange and felt pity for the oldest Higurashi, "We'll keep an eye on him for ya."

The priestess gave him and Lori a grateful smile before heading to the RV.

"Hey China Doll," Daryl called out making Kagome turn around, "Come'er."

Kagome walked over to him wondering what he wanted, "What is it?"

"Who you ridin' with?" he asked.

"Oh, umm, the RV I guess. Souta's riding with Rick and Lori," Kagome answered.

"Hell no," Daryl responded, making her raise a brow. "There's no way you're ridin' along with a soon to be Walker."

Kagome gave a small scowl, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he retorted before gesturing his head towards his truck, "Now get in the truck."

"No," Kagome retorted in retaliation, "You're not the boss of me."

"Just get your ass in the truck, China Doll," Daryl snapped at her.

Realizing that people were starting stare at them, Kagome gave up and got inside the truck while huffing under her breath. She folded her arms after buckling her seat belt. "You need to stop calling me that," Kagome told Daryl in irritation, once he got in the driver's seat.

"You're not the boss of me either," Daryl replied as he started his truck.

"I know that," she snapped, "But the only one who's allowed to call me China Doll anymore is Merle."

Daryl glanced over at her a little astonished by her declaration, "Since when?"

"Since now," Kagome answered simply, "Besides, he's the one who came up with it."

"What the hell am I suppose' to call ya?" he asked as he began to follow the other's cars.

"My name might be nice," Kagome retorted, as if it were obvious, "Or come up with your own nick name for me or something."

Daryl rolled his eyes at her response, "Whatever."

The drive between them was silent for a good twenty minutes.

Daryl glanced over and noticed that Kagome was still wearing that gray long sleeved over shirt. The one that had been ripped up by T-Dog. He reached into the back of his seat and grabbed something, "Here," Daryl said, offering her a rated long sleeved red shirt.

Kagome hesitantly took it, "What's this for?"

"Your shirts torn up. Use this one," he gestured to the large piece of her long sleeved gray over shirt missing.

"Oh," she replied a little baffled as she looked down at her attire. Kagome was still wearing blue jeans and the same shoes, but had changed her tank top to a dark green one. However, she only had one long sleeved over shirt. "Thank you," Kagome said before she maneuvered her long sleeve over shirt off while connected to her seat belt.

Daryl did his best not to glance over and look at her scars, but his peripheral vision did see the long one on her left arm. It was curved in a very unusual way. 'Damn girl,' he couldn't help but think, 'What the hell happen' to ya?'

Kagome slipped on the red shirt and sent him a grateful smile before folding up the gray shirt.

Their moment was interrupted when the RV suddenly broke down in front of them.

"Oh great," Daryl muttered as he pulled over to go see what was wrong.

It turned out that the hose for the RV had finally given out. The men said they'd find a gas station close by to try and fix it, when Jacqui told everyone that Jim was getting worse. After a few more minutes of talking, the group eventually asked Jim what he wanted to do.

Jim said he'd rather just take what was to come, finally accepting his fate.

Rick and Shane carried the wounded man up against a tree and left him to his peace. All the adults said good bye to Jim in their own way. Kagome told Jim good bye, doing her best not to cry as she hugged him and said how much she'll miss him. Jim smiled at the priestess and told her not to worry. "I'll be with my wife and kids again," he reminded her which made her nod when she pulled back from her hug.

After the RV was fixed, the group continued to travel to the CDC.

Daryl tried to pay attention to the cars in front of him, while Kagome watched the world pass by through the truck window. He could tell that she was sad from losing everyone at the Quarry and what had happened to Amy and Jim. She would occasionally wipe away a tear that had fallen down her face. The hunter wasn't really sure what to do, since he wasn't used to comforting crying women.

Luckily for him, Kagome fell asleep in exhaustion a few moments later. The events of the past two days had finally taken its toll on the priestess. As he drove, Daryl would glance at Kagome's sleeping form every now and again. A part of him was still trying to understand what it was about the priestess that kept plaguing at his mind.

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When the cars finally stopped after a few hours, Daryl shook Kagome's shoulder to wake her up.

Kagome opened her eyes and noticed that it was getting dark, before she saw what was in front of her. "Is that," Kagome was about to ask but couldn't finish.

Daryl pulled the truck over and parked it, "Yeah...That's the CDC."

The CDC was indeed filled with military soldiers as well as a barricade of sorts.

Unfortunately, all the military soldiers were already dead. And from the decomposing state of the bodies, they've been dead for a long time.

The group all came out of their vehicles as they made their way to the CDC entrance.

All of them had to cover their mouths and noses from the horrible smell of the rotting corpses.

Kagome made sure to stay in front of Souta with a bow and arrow armed and ready. Whether her brother was mad at her or not, she was going to protect Souta no matter what.

By the time they got to the entrance of the building, all the doors were bolted closed.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog stated at the CDC in defeat.

Rick wasn't full convinced, "Then why are the shutters down?"

"Walker," Shane suddenly warned as he aimed his gun at the upcoming threat.

Daryl quickly shot the Walker with his crossbow before glaring at Rick, "You led us into a graveyard!"

"He made a call!" Shane tried to defend his friend.

"Well it was the wrong damn call!" Daryl argued back.

"Stop yelling, you idiots,'' Kagome warned them, "Are you trying to get all of us killed?"

Shane huffed through his nose, "Rick, this is a dead end."

"Where are we going to go?" Carol asked in a worried panic, as a frightened Sophia clinged to her mother. Carl did the same with his mom and Souta stayed close to his sister.

"We can't be close to the city after dark," Lori told the men.

Rick continued to look at the doors and up at the lights. He refused to believe that there was nothing or no one here.

"Fort Benning is still an option," Shane suggested.

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes, 'We get it, you want things done your way. Shut up already.'

"On what?" Andrea said in a mild panic. "No food. No fuel. That's a hundred mile trip."

"A hundred twenty five," Glenn corrected, having checked the maps.

"Forget Fort Benning," Lori scolded, "We need answers tonight."

Rick tried to calm his wife down, "We'll think of something."

Shane wasn't so patient, "Everyone back to the cars."

Before they even stated to move, Rick made the stop. "The camera! It moved!" he said pointing to the camera above the door.

Kagome and the others looked at the camera and saw no movement.

"You imagined it," Dale told him.

Rick walked closer to the entrance, "No. No it moved." Shane tried to convince his friend that he was imagining things, but Rick was sure that he didn't. He banged the door multiple times, yelling at the camera. Screaming that he knew that there was someone there. "You're killing us!" he yelled, as more Walkers began to descend upon the group.

Shane grabbed Rick by the waist and began dragging him back to the vehicles.

That's when they heard the door open.

Everyone's jaws dropped as a bright light began shining on all of them when the door fully opened.

Kagome had to shield her eyes at the light's brightness.

When the lights dimmed down, everyone hurried inside the building.

A man with a big gun stood there waiting on the group, ready to fire if necessary. "Anybody infected?" he asked all of them.

Kagome remained cautious of the man, 'Why is he alone up here?'

"One of our group was...He didn't make it," Rick answered the armed man.

The man walked a little closer to the group. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"A chance," Rick answered.

The man gave an unamused smirk, "That's asking for an awful lot these days."

Rick gave a small nod in understanding, "I know."

The man lowered his gun as he took a good look at every member of the group. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

The group looked at one another and gave a small nod.

"We can do that," Rick said in agreement.

The man gave a satisfied nod, "Grab what you want. Because once this door closes, it stays closed."

With that order, Shane, Rick, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog all ran to their vehicles and grabbed everyone's belongs.

Once that was done, the man swiped a key card at the entrance, "VI seal the main entrance, then cut the power up here."

The man, later known as Dr. Edwin Jenner, led the group to the elevator to take them to the lower levels of the CDC.

Kagome couldn't help but still be wary of this man, especially after she quickly sensed his soul. 'His spirit is weak...As if he wants to give up.'

"Doctors always going around packing heat like that?" Daryl asked the doctor.

Jenner looked at his gone, "There were plenty lying around. I familiarized myself with them. But you all look harmless enough," he said before he glanced down at Carl. "Except for you...I'm gonna keep my eye on you."

Carl gave a small smile in amusement.

As the elevator opened, Jenner took the group down a hallway towards his lab.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked in mild concern.

"You claustrophobic?" Jenner asked her.

Carol nodded, "A little."

Jenner gave a nod back in understanding, "Try not to think about it."

Once they reached his lab, everyone submitted to a blood test like agreed. They also met VI, a computer system that operated the building.

Jenner was the only remaining survivor of the CDC.

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When they finished giving blood, the group mentioned to Jenner that they haven't eaten in days. The doctor quickly led all of them to the kitchen that was stocked with plenty of food.

After cooking the most decent meal they've had in months, the group rejoiced in their feast in a small eating area.

Dale had found some wine in one of the kitchen cabinets, and began to pour a glass for the adults. Then he poured a small glass for Carl. "You know in Italy, the children have a little wine at dinner. And in France," he informed Lori.

The female Grimes snickered, "Well when Carl's in Italy or France, he can have wine then," she stated before drinking some of her own wine.

"Oh come on," Rick encouraged his wife, "What's it gonna hurt?"

Looking from Rick to Carl, Lori reluctantly gave the glass to her son.

Carl drank the red alcoholic beverage in excitement before making a sour face, "Eww."

Everyone laughed except for Souta, who was starting emotionlessly at his plate of food.

"That's my boy," said a pleased Lori while giving her son a one armed hug.

"You kids better stick to soda pop," Shane teased.

Daryl and the others snickered, "Not you two," he told Glenn and Kagome.

"What?" Glenn questioned him, as Daryl began pour him a glass of wine.

"I want to see how red your faces can get," Daryl challenged in an almost teasing tone.

Kagome shook her head as she snickered, "No way. I've been drunk before and I'm not doing that again."

The group laughed at her excuse.

In all the excitement Rick glanced over at Jenner, and sat up from his seat. "It seems we need to thank our host properly."

T-Dog raised his glass, "He's more than just our host."

"Here here," Dale raised his glass in agreement, others raised their glass and cheered.

"Booyah," Daryl raised his bottle of wine, already getting a little tipsy.

Kagome raised her glass of water in thanks to the doctor.

"So," Shane interrupted their cheers, "When are you going to tell us what happened here, Doc?" Everyone immediately went quiet. "You know, all the other doctors who are trying to figure out what happened. Where are they?"

"We're celebrating Shane," Rick scolded his friend as he sat back down in his chair, "There's no need to do this now."

Shane shook his head, "This is why we're here right?" he asked his friend. "This was your move. Here to find out all the answers. Well, we found him," Shane pointed to Jenner. "We found one man. Why?"

Kagome couldn't help but glare at Shane, 'Even if he does have a point, he doesn't need to be a jerk about it.'

Jenner sighed before looking at everyone's questioning glances, "Well, when things got bad a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families." Some group members, including Kagome, nodded in understanding. "And when things got worse, when the military quadrant got over run, the rest bolted."

Shane gave a smirk disbelieving, "Every last one?"

"No," Jenner replied, giving an unamused smirk of his own. "Many couldn't face walking out the door. They, uhh, opted out." A few group members shifted in their seats uncomfortably. "There was a rash of suicides...It was a bad time."

"But you didn't leave," Andrea pointed out, "Why?"

"I just kept working," Jenner answered her, "Hoping to do some good."

There was nothing but silence in the room for a few moments.

Glenn was the one to finally break it, "Dude, you're such a buzz kill," he said to Shane.

Kagome shifted in her seat and glanced over to her little brother. Souta was listening to the conversation but made no move to look up from his plate. "Souta, you need to eat," she told him.

Souta pushed his plate away defiantly.

The priestess sighed, "Do you want something else?"

The young Higurashi made no move to answer.

Kagome looked down in defeat, finally having enough of the silent treatment. "Souta...Please just talk to me," she begged looking back up at her brother, making a few of the group members glance over at them. "You can say whatever you want but please...Just talk to me," Kagome pleaded to her brother.

The adults and children looked at the young Higurashi, wanting him to make a move. It was hard to tell what he was thinking since Souta's bangs were covering his eyes.

Underneath the table, Souta's fists clenched, disliking how he was being put on the spot like this. It made the rage that was inside of him finally snap.

"...I," Souta said softly.

A few people's breaths halted at the sound of the young Higurashi.

Sophia smiled widely, 'He-He talked.'

Kagome gave a small smile of her own, "Souta?" she asked encouragingly, grateful to hear her brother's voice again.

The young Higurashi finally looked up towards his sister.

His eyes were filled with rage that was finally visible to everyone, "I hate you," Souta said in anger.

Kagome's smile faltered, "Wh-what?" she asked stunned by what her brother had said.

Souta stood up and banged both his fists on the table, "I said I hate you!" he yelled, startling a few people. "What happened at the camp was your fault!"

"Souta," Sophia tried to walk over to her friend and stop him from saying something he'll definitely regret later.

"If you had been there no one would have died! You had the power to save them!" Souta continued to yell, "If you had just noticed something was wrong, just like with Mama, no one would have died!"

Kagome so stunned by Souta's anger that she couldn't think clearly, "I-I didn't know."

"YES YOU DID!" Souta argued, his voice getting louder by the second "DON'T YOUR PRIESTESS SKILLS TELL YOU EVERYTHING! I HATE YOU FOR NOT BEING AT THE CAMP! I HATE YOU FOR NOT SAVEING MAMA! I WISH YOU DIED INSTEAD OF HER!"

"Souta!" Lori, Carol and Jacqui scolded the boy for his cruel words.

The young Higurashi yanked at the necklace Kagome gave him, breaking the chain, and threw it at his sister before storming off down the hallway.

Kagome caught the necklace and stared at it, completely stunned by what just happened.

Dale got up from his seat and walked over to the oldest Higurashi, "Kagome," he said sympathetically as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Instead of acknowledging him, the priestess stood up and bowed her head. "Excuse me," Kagome told the group and quietly walked down a different hallway.

A majority group looked at one another, not sure what to do for the Higurashi siblings. None of them seemed to notice someone slip out of the room to follow the priestess.

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Kagome walked down the hallway, unsure of where she was going, until all her emotions finally caught up with her. She looked at the hollowed Shikon no Tama in her hand and clenched her fist.

In frustration, Kagome hit a nearby wall with her fist, not caring that it hurt.

She hit it again and again in a blinding rage.

"Whoa, whoa," someone said as they grabbed her wrist to stop her, "Easy, China Face."

Kagome turned to face Daryl, with frustrated tears coming down her cheeks. "Really? China Face was the best you could come up with?" she asked him. She cradled her hand after Daryl released her, which was now pulsing red from the abuse. A moment later, Kagome pressed her back against the wall and slid down to the floor as she wiped the tears off her face with her forearm.

The hunter sat down next to her, and offered the bottle of wine he'd been drinking.

The priestess glanced over at the bottle before she grabbed it to take a big gulp of the sweet alcoholic beverage. The drink caused a burning sensation in her throat, "Argh, this stuff is gross," she muttered before coughing.

Daryl snorted, "You don't want it, give it back."

"I didn't say that," Kagome retorted before taking another big gulp of the wine, realizing the taste was a little better the second time. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again, "He hates me."

"Nah," Daryl disagreed, "He's angry. But he don't hate you."

Kagome shook her head, "But he's right," she admitted, "If I had been there at the camp, maybe I could have saved some of them...And maybe I could've helped our mother too if-if I," Kagome had a few tears fall down her face which she quickly wiped away. Daryl looked at her in confusion, not knowing the whole story of what had happened to her mother. "This lady knocked on our hotel room door and we let her in. She had been bit...We didn't know what that meant yet...The bite killed her during the night, and when she turned, she killed my mother...It took me a few tries for me to figure out that you got to take out a Walker's brain to kill it." Kagome hesitated to tell him the next part, "Afterwards, we went into the woods to bury our mother. Souta was trying to find flowers for her grave while I dug a resting place for her...That's when I learned that the bites bring someone back." Daryl was silent as Kagome kept talking, knowing how hard it was to talk about. "She was wrapped up in one of the hotel blankets so she couldn't get to me when she came back as a Walker...I had to stab her in the head." Kagome took another gulp of the wine before she could continue, "I never told Souta what happened. I didn't want him to know that our mother came back as one of them...And I tried protect him ever since."

"You've been doin' that," Daryl finally spoke.

"Not good enough," she shook her head in disagreement.

Daryl snorted at her self-pity, "'Least you know where your brother is."

Kagome turned her head towards him, feeling sad for the hunter, "Merle's alive, Daryl."

"But he ain't here is he," Daryl pointed out, while grabbing the bottle back from her and taking a swig from it. "Souta's just being a punk little kid who don't know how lucky he is that you're still here. And you still have him, so quit your bitchin'."

The priestess gave the hunters comment some thought. Although the words sounded harsh, somehow, Daryl did manage to make her feel a little better. "Don't call my brother a punk," she teasingly nudged him with her elbow.

Daryl gave a small half smirk, "Can't call you China Doll. Can't call your brother a punk. Is there anythin' I'm allowed to do with you?"

Kagome pretended to think it over, "You can give me some more wine," she suggested pointing to the bottle.

He snorted as he handed it back to her, "So much for not gettin' you drunk."

"Please. I doubt this stuff will get me drunk," she said before gulping down more wine. "I've had sake that was way stronger than this stuff."

Daryl heckled, "Can't picture that."

Kagome gave a small snicker, "The one and only time I was drunk, there was a microphone and very bad singing involved." The priestess recalled on how she, Shippo and Sango got drunk on some demon sake mist and how she began to sing like an idiot. 'Although Sango drunkenly flirt with Inuyasha and me 'sitting' him repeatedly was pretty funny when it was all over.'

The hunter couldn't help but laugh, "Would have paid money to see that."

"Heeeey," said the slurry voice of Glenn as he stumbled down the hallway followed by T-Dog, "I didn't know I was missing a party."

Kagome looked at her drunk friend and winced at the future pain he'll be in later, "Oh Glenn."

"Hey Kaggy," Glenn said pointing to her, looking like he was trying really hard to speak full sentences. "Listen, you-shouldn't be sad cause of Souta. He's just-mad and stuff," he slurred.

The priestess gave a polite nod, "I appreciate that Glenn, thank you."

Glenn snickered, "You know Kaggy your reeeealy nice."

Kagome nodded as she stood up, "And your reeeealy drunk," she replied in amusement. "How much wine did he have?" she asked T-Dog who was snickering.

"More than he thought apparently. But a lot less than you'd think," he replied before looking at her with concern, "You okay?" Kagome nodded yes in reply. "Well, Carol said that the kids are making some kind of fort in one of the rooms and they wanted to stay the night there. She said you could crash with her tonight if you want."

Kagome let out a relieved breath, "Souta's with friends...Good."

"Oh my God Kaggy, guess what?" Glenn said dramatically loud.

"What?" she asked a little amused.

"The showers here, they have hot water," Glenn said excited, "Can you believe it?"

Kagome's eyes widened brightely, "Hot water," she repeated as if it were too good to be true. When T-Dog nodded yes, she squealed loudly in excitement.

Daryl snorted, "You're such a girl."

"And proud of it," she retorted.

 **Well...Souta's finally talking, that's good right?...*Dodges randomly thrown object* I know I know. So what do you guys think? Next time: Escape from the CDC and the survivors on a highway...to hell. (Sorry, couldn't resist)**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	6. Poor Lost Souls

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Hey everyone! I'd like to thank alice (Guest), CK (Guest), achiie, KioshiUshima, linx007 (even though you're finished with this fic for "turning Souta into a angsty little bitch"), wintermoon7,** **Spastic Freak, save the sharks, GreenHoneyTea, GiggleboxGirlie, Kuro no Saisei, DragonBlade00, MyHeartBeating,** **lifelovelaugh, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Nakomi, BlueFiestaMockingjayPie, Dev-Dev-251, Lovessweets, Vertigo Venom, Liantei, panther73110, vinyariel, beulah2013, KairaiGensou, white06rose, sirimus234, SilverSnowVixenAiko, YunaNeko, ashleemichelle, UH061992, Axtla3000, Fantomo, LadyChance, Deathstalker7777,** **Saricaykes, Snickering Fox, Kitsuna-lover, Arayer, Burianna, Sillvog, Yoventte, Diamondz-Love, Skywillow, and victoria cullen34**

Disclaimer: *sees shooting star in the sky* I wish I owned Inuyasha and Walking Dead. *Waits for wish to come true* Darn it, didn't work. Still own nothing so no suing.

Chapter Six: Poor Lost Souls

The entire group felt relief from the first good night sleep they've had since the beginning of the dead walking the earth.

Kagome had stayed in Carol's room last night after she left Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog, who continued to have fun drinking. She took a relaxing hot shower once she got into the room. Even though the small luxury didn't last very long, Kagome enjoyed the few blissful moments of having hot water. It was definitely one of the things she missed since the world had changed. 'At least in the Feudal Era we could find a hot springs,' she sighed at the memory.

When Kagome finally awoke this morning, she got dressed in her usual boots and jeans and chose to wear white tank top and the shirt Daryl had given her, before she made her way into the kitchen. She was a little surprised to see T-Dog being the one cooking in the kitchen, with Jacqui helping him. "Wow," she said as she smelt the amazing breakfast food being cooked.

"What?" he playfully challenged, "You think you're the only one with good cooking skills?"

Kagome chuckled as she grabbed a plate to fill it with powdered eggs and bacon.

Later, Lori, Carol, and the children entreated the room with Andrea and Dale following close behind them.

The priestess glanced over at her brother, to see if his mood had changed since last night.

Souta couldn't even look at her, making Kagome lower her eyes in disappointment.

The moment her eyes left her brother's form, he looked up and recalled what he said to his friends last night.

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" _It's her fault!" Souta snapped as he sat on the floor of one of the rooms of the CDC. Sophia and Carl were in the room with him, all in their pajamas. "She could have stopped it!"_

" _How? She only has a bow and arrow," Carl asked in confusion._

 _Souta shook his head, "You don't understand."_

" _Then help us," Sophia said, wanting to help her friend. ._

" _She's a priestess!" he stated in anger._

 _Carl blinked feeling even more muddled, "So?"_

 _The young Higurashi exasperated heavily. He wished he could tell his friends why Kagome being a priestess meant all the difference, but he promised his family he'd never say a word. As angry as he was at his sister, he could never betray her that way. "She just...Kagome has a way of feeling when bad things happen."_

 _Sophia gave a mild nod in understanding, "So, she could have felt when we would have been attacked by Walkers?"_

" _Yes," Souta said before remembering that Kagome couldn't sense Walkers. "No. I mean...She still could have helped!"_

 _Carl did nod in full understanding, "I felt the same way about it at first...About my dad."_

 _The young Higurashi snapped, "You don't get it! Kagome could have saved her! But she wasn't there!"_

 _Sophia shook her head, "Them." Souta looked at her with a raised brow before she corrected. "You mean the people at the Quarry, right?...Or do you mean your mom?"_

 _Souta's anger suddenly turned to sadness._

 _Sophia was right._

 _He wasn't talking about the people at the Quarry._

 _He was talking about his mother._

 _Kagome was there that night there mother died._

 _And yet, she couldn't save her...But she did protect him._

 _Souta broke down and cried openly in front of his two best friends, who comforted him for the rest of the night, telling him that it was okay to be sad about losing his mother._

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When Souta woke up this morning, he felt incredibly guilty. Kagome had been protecting him since everything had started and he repaid her by acting like an ungrateful brat in front of the group. Souta knew he needed to apologize, 'But what if she's upset with me now?' he thought, feeling so embarrassed that he couldn't even look Kagome in the eye.

So instead of sitting next to his sister, Souta sat next to Carl and Sophia at the far end of the table.

Carol and Lori brought breakfast for the kids, including Souta which made Kagome extremely grateful.

When Daryl finally came into the room he went straight for the rest of the wine that was left over from last night.

"Didn't you have that for dinner?" Kagome playfully scolded him from her seat.

Daryl snorted, "Heard of left overs?" he asked sitting down in the seat in front of her at the table. He couldn't help but notice that Kagome looked a little different today.

Carol looked up from her plate over to the priestess and noticed the same thing, "I don't think I've seen you wear your hair down before, Kagome."

The priestess sighed in slight annoyance and brushed her long hair back over her shoulder, "Yeah, my stupid hair tie broke last night."

"I think it looks cute down," Jacqui complimented the young Asian woman.

The priestess gave an embarrassed smile, not used to getting compliments like that anymore, "Th-thanks."

"Hey Kagome," Sophia said, walking up to the priestess, "Here," she said handing her a chain for a necklace. "I found this in my bag. You could use it since yours is broken."

The eldest Higurashi looked at the chain and smiled, "Oh Sophia, thank you," Kagome said while hugging the young blond gratefully. After she released Sophia, the priestess took the hollow Shikon Jewel from her pocket and slipped it on the chain before placing it around her neck.

Daryl looked at the necklace curiously, since he'd never seen Kagome act that way before, 'It's just a necklace. What's the big deal?'

The sound of groaning suddenly came from the hallway suddenly interrupted the hunter's thoughts. Everyone turned and saw Glenn walk into the kitchen, in obvious pain from a hangover.

Kagome shook her head at her friend, "Aww, the poor thing."

Jacqui snickered as she went to help the young Korean, "What did you learn, honey?" she asked sweetly.

Glenn groaned in obvious pain from his hangover, "Not so loooud."

The kids laughed at his actions, which made Glenn wince again.

A little while later, Rick entered the room.

"Are you hungover?" Carl asked his dad, "Mom said you'd be."

Rick smirked at his son, "And your mom's right."

Lori snickered as she ate, "Mom has that annoying habit," she teased.

"Here's some more eggs," T-Dog came to the table with a skillet of the second helping of eggs. "There powdered, but I do'em good. Bet you can't even tell."

"I know I can't," Kagome said gratefully, already done with her plate. She would have gone for more, but she knew the kids needed the food more than she did.

"And the protein will help the hangovers," T-Dog teased over to Glenn, who had his head down on the table.

Rick inspected the food and even the bottle of aspirin on the table. "Where'd all this come from?"

"Jenner," Lori replied, "He thought we could use them."

Glenn continued groaning as T-Dog poured some eggs on his plate. Jacqui was rubbing his shoulders soothingly. "Don't ever let me drink again," Glenn told anyone who was listening.

That's when Shane came into the room, heading straight for the food.

"Feel as bad as I do?" Rick asked his best friend.

"Worse," Shane answered before turning and exposing his front.

That's when Kagome saw the scratches on the former deputy's neck, 'What in the world?'

"The hell happen to you?" T-Dog asked, gesturing to Shane's neck.

Shane sat at the table and shrugged, "Must have done it in my sleep."

"Never seen you do that before," Rick stated to his best friend.

"Yah," Shane replied, glancing up at Lori, "It's not like me at all."

Lori gave him a small sinister stare, which didn't go unnoticed by Kagome.

The priestess turned to Shane and saw his eyes unable to stray from Lori. 'Oh no,' Kagome inwardly groaned since it was obvious that Shane wasn't over the married woman yet. 'I really hope he doesn't do anything stupid,' she thought before glancing at the scratches on Shane's neck. 'Or did he done something stupid already?'

That's when Jenner mad his entrance, "Morning."

Everyone greeted him a good morning.

"Hey Doc," Dale spoke up, "I don't mean to hammer you with questions in the morning."

Jenner sighed as he poured himself some juice, "But you will."

"Well," Dale began to say before he was interrupted by Andrea.

"We didn't come here for the eggs," she stated sternly.

Everyone paused in their meal.

And Jenner let out a loud sigh. He knew that the group had questions about what was going on. Jenner took the group to the control room and showed them a footage of a very special patient that showed exactly what this unique virus did to the brain of a human being.

The group was stunned by all of it.

The virus, or whatever it was, shuts the brain down and then re-starts it again, only making certain parts of the body function.

But the person who dies, who they were, doesn't come back.

Kagome had seen many things in the Feudal Era: A person being brought back by clay and graveyard soil, the Jewel keeping a dead person alive and their will controlled, she'd even seen the undead walk out of the gates of the Underworld. 'But this is the most unnatural thing I've ever seen,' she admitted to herself as she watched the video clip of the transformation.

When the video clip showed the patient being shot in the head, Jenner told VI to shut the station down.

"You have no idea what it is do you?" Andrea asked Jenner accusingly.

Jenner listed off the many possible reasons. Jacqui chimed in that this whole thing could be the 'wrath of God,' which the doctor agreed was a possibility.

Kagome couldn't help but snort under her breath, "The Kamis have a wicked sense of humor."

Andrea remained skeptical about the whole thing, "Somebody must know something...Somebody somewhere right?"

"There are other facilities?" Carol asked the doctor.

Jenner shrugged, "There may be some...People like me."

"But you don't know," stated Rick, "How could you not know?"

"Everything went down," Jenner explained, "Communications. Directives. All of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

Souta got closer to his sister after hearing everything the doctor had to say. Kagome instinctively wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Even if they weren't on good terms, the priestess would always protect her brother.

"So it's not just here," Andrea continued, "There's nothing left...Anywhere, that's what you're saying, right?"

Jenner kept silent. His unspoken answer made everyone look down in defeat.

"Jesus," Jacqui said upset.

"Shit," Daryl said rubbing his forehead before heading out the door, "I'm gonna get shit-faced drunk. Again."

Dale shook his head before he looked up at the wall and noticed a big red timer that was counting down. "Hey Doc, I'd hate to ask another question, but that clock," he pointed, "It's counting down...What happens at zero?"

Jenner hesitated to answer, "Th-the basement generators run out of fuel."

Kagome could sense that he was hiding something more, "And then what?" she asked, squeezing her brother closer. Souta didn't even complain, since Jenner's behavior was scaring him too.

Instead of answering, Jenner walked out of the room.

Rick glared at the doctor before coming up with an idea, "VI," he asked the computer that ran the building, "What happens when the fuel runs out?"

" _ **When the power runs out, facility wide decontamination will occur,"**_ VI answered in its robotic voice.

Kagome's eyes widened, 'That doesn't sound good.'

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Kagome didn't hesitate to grab her brother and drag him to where they kept their stuff. She knew that Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn were headed to the basement for some answers, but she didn't want to wait around to find out.

"Pack," she ordered Souta.

"Wh-what's going on?" Souta asked her, "What does 'decontamination' mean?"

"I'm not completely sure," Kagome admitted, "But by the way Jenner is behaving, it can't be good. Especially since his," she paused, wondering if she should tell him.

Souta was hesitant to ask his question, "His what?"

Kagome sighed, " **Its Jenner's soul,"** she said in Japanese just in case someone in the group could over hear them, " **He's given up on living."**

Souta glared at her, **"You could sense stuff like that?"** Kagome nodded yes. **"And you didn't say anything?!"** he snapped at her.

" **We were desperate,"** she reminded him. **"And what was I supposed to say? 'I don't think we should go in guys, my priestess powers tell me that this man soul says he's given up!'"** she snapped making Souta wince at her. Kagome immediately regretted it, **"I'm sorry Souta. But we have to get out of here."**

The young Higurashi gave an obedient nod before he started packing their backpacks.

As soon as Kagome wrapped her bows and arrows around her back, the air conditioner to their room shut off. Moments later, the lights turned off before VI announced that the emergency lights were going to be switched on, which they did.

The Higurashi's looked at one another, before they went out into the hallway.

Daryl poked his head out of his room, bottle in hand. "What's going on? Why's everythin' trunin' off?"

The others came out of the rooms wondering the same thing.

"Ask him," Kagome gestured to Jenner, who was now dressed in nice work clothes and had his hair and face cleaner then it was not too long ago.

Jenner snatched the bottle from Daryl's hand and continued to walk, "Energy is being prioritized," he answered before taking a drink of the alcoholic beverage.

"Air isn't a priority?" Dale argued, "And lights?" he asked as Jenner passed his room.

Jenner kept walking, "It's not up to me."

Daryl was getting irritated by the doctor's vagueness, "Hey, the hell's that mean?" he demanded to know as he began to follow Jenner. Everyone followed his example and followed the vague doctor.

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you," Daryl began to snap at Jenner, "What do you mean shutin' down!? How can a buildin' do anything!?"

"You'd be surprised," Jenner finally spoke.

Rick and the others caught up to the group and began to follow.

"Jenner, what's going on?" Rick asked.

"The system is shutting off all the nonessential uses of power," Jenner finally explained, "It's designed to keep the computers going for as long as possible. It's supposed to happen on the half hour mark." Jenner entered the room where he showed the group the footage, "Right on time," he gestured to the clock that was now in the half hour mark.

"Kagome," Souta called for his sister starting to get a little anxious about the vague answers Jenner was providing.

"Souta stay here," Kagome ordered as she followed the others into the room with computers. The young Higurashi did as he was told.

Jenner took a large gulp of the wine he'd stolen form Daryl before handing it back to the hunter. Daryl snatched it back with a threatening scowl.

Everyone looked at Jenner desperate for answers.

"It was the French," Jenner said to Andrea, "They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know. While our people were bolting the labs or committing suicide...They were the ones that stuck with it to the end...They thought they were close to a solution."

"What happened?" asked Jacqui.

"The same thing that's happening here," Jenner stated, "No power grid...It ran out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?

Shane stepped forward, ready to punch Jenner to get some real answers.

"Shane enough," Rick barked at his friend, before turning to his wife. "Lori get our things. Everyone get your stuff, let's go."

Kagome immediately started going for the door. An alarm suddenly went off, announcing that there were thirty minutes left. The alarm caused the others to stop but Kagome kept walking.

She saw Souta still standing there waiting for them with a frightened look on his face.

"What's going on?" her brother asked sounding completely scared.

"We got to get out of here," Kagome began to say before a noise interrupted her.

A door quickly rose from the ground between the room and the hallway.

"Kagome!" Souta yelled running towards the door.

"SOUTA!" Kagome screamed as she rushed to the door, only to have it close on her.

The group looked at the closed door completely shocked.

"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn asked Jenner in a panic. "HE JUST LOCKED US IN!" he yelled at the group.

Kagome banged on the door separating her from her brother. "Souta! Can you hear me?! Souta!"

"Kagome!" she could barely hear Souta's voice on the other side.

It was even harder to hear him when Daryl started screaming at Jenner. It sounded like the others were struggling to hold the hunter back from wailing on the doctor.

"I told you, once those entrance doors were closed they wouldn't open again," Jenner reminded them.

Rick glared at the doctor, "What happens in twenty eight minutes?" Jenner didn't answer. "WHAT HAPPENS!?" the sheriff asked more harshly

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS PLACE IS?!" Jenner yelled back at Rick and the rest of the group. "WE PROTECTED THE PUBLIC FROM VERY NASTY STUFF! WEAPONIZED SMALL POX! EBOLA STRAINS THAT COULD WIPE OUT HALF THE COUTRY! STUFF YOU DON'T WANT GETTING OUT! EVER!"

Everyone was speechless. Kagome couldn't help but wonder what the doctor was getting at by explaining all of this. 'Please don't be anything terrible,' she prayed.

Jenner collected himself from his outburst and sat down at one of the computers, "In the event of a catastrophic power failure, HIT's are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"HIT's?" Rick asked confused.

"VI define," Jenner ordered the operating system.

" _ **HIT is high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition which produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between five thousand and six thousand degrees, and is used when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures as desired,"**_ VI answered automatically.

Everyone's eyes widened in complete terror.

"It sets the air on fire," Jenner stated simply.

'No,' Kagome whimpered as she looked at the door separating her and the only blood family she had left.

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Time began to pass by far too quickly for anyone's liking

Kagome, Daryl and Shane continued to bang on the door with anything they could find to try and force it open. Axe's, chairs, and even the wine bottle Daryl threw in frustration.

The priestess could hear her brother crying on the other side, desperately calling out her name.

She could hear Sophia and Carl clinging to their mothers.

She could hear Rick pleading with Jenner to open the door.

She could hear the frustration coming from the men of trying desperately to get out and curse whenever they failed.

But no matter who was crying, or making the sound, it all meant the same thing.

It was the sounds of desperation and fear.

"You should have left well enough alone," Jenner told the group, "It would have been a lot easier."

Lori glared at the doctor, "Easier for who?" she barked

"All of you," he answered, "You know what's out there. A short brutal life of agonizing death." Jenner looked to Andrea, who was sitting on the floor looking somewhat content, "Your sister, what was her name?"

"Amy," she quietly answered.

Jenner repeated the name, "You know what this does," he spoke directly to Andrea, "You've seen it...Is that really what you want?"

"I don't want this," Rick gritted through his teeth.

Shane swore under his breath as he went back to Rick, "We can't make a dent."

Kagome kept swinging the chair she had into the door until it finally broke in her hands.

"That door was designed to keep out a rocket launcher," Jenner informed, letting them know that there was no use in trying.

The priestess fell to her knees in anguish and softly began to cry.

The very moment Daryl saw tears fall down Kagome's face, he saw red. The hunter stormed back over to Jenner with the axe still in his hand, "But your head ain't," he threatened as he went to take a swing of the axe at the doctor.

Rick, Dale and T-Dog had to hold the hunter back, "Back off!" Rick warned, knowing if that there was a chance to get out of here, it was Jenner.

Meanwhile, Kagome banged her fist on the metal door a few more times before giving a frustrated huff. She quickly glanced over at the clock and saw that it was getting close to the ten minute mark. 'Damn it,' she cursed, knowing that there was only one thing left to do now.

"Souta!" she called over to the other side.

"Kagome!" he replied back to her.

" **Souta, you have to get out of here!"** she told him in Japanese, **"This place is going to blow up soon! You have to go before that happens!"**

" **NO! I'm not leaving without you!"** Souta argued back.

" **You have to!"** she stated, **"We may not get out in time, but you still have a chance!"**

She could hear Souta banging on the other side of the door and his loud sobbing, **"Kagome...I don't know how to survive on my own! I'm not strong like you...I'm sorry! For everything I said! I didn't mean it! I swear!"**

Kagome nodded, **"I know you didn't, Souta! But listen to me! You're strong! And you'll learn to survive just like I had to!"** she assured him with a sad smile as she tried to wipe the tears off her face, **"You can do it!"**

" **Kagome,"** Souta cried.

" **Souta go...Please go**!" she said, trying her best to be strong for him.

It wasn't until the priestess sensed Souta's soul leave the door that she let out a sigh in relief. 'As long as Souta's alive...That's enough for me.'

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"This isn't right!" Carol yelled at Jenner, "You can't just keep us here!"

Jenner shook his head in confusion, "It's just one tiny moment, a mila-second. No pain."

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol continued to cry.

"Wouldn't it be kinder?" Jenner asked, "More compassionate to hold on onto your loved ones and wait for the clock to run out."

"And what about her!" Daryl asked, pointing up to Kagome as she was kneeled to the ground, "Huh?! The only loved one she has left is on the other side of that door!"

The doctor looked at the Asian woman in regret, "I didn't mean for that to happen. But as I said, those doors will remain closed."

Shane slammed his head into one of the nearby desks before he grabbed a shot gun that he brought with him

"Shane no!" Rick urged his friend.

"Get out of my way, Rick," Shane ordered before he shoved his friend and aimed the gun at Jenner's head.

Most of the group backed away in fear of what the former deputy was threating to do.

"I'M GONNA BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF! YOU HEAR ME!" Shane told the doctor.

Rick stood next to his friend and steadily put his hand on his shoulder, "Shane if you do this, we'll never get out of here."

"Shane, listen to him," Lori urged.

Finally snapping form his rage, Shane turned the gun away from the doctor and began shooting at the random computer monitors around the room.

Everyone jumped as each shot was fired, including Kagome. Surprisingly, Daryl came to her side to make sure she was out of line of fire. It wasn't until Rick finally subdued Shane that everything started to come down.

Daryl looked down at the priestess, asking with his eyes if she was okay.

Kagome gave a slight nod in return before she looked back at the door. "I told Souta to run," she told Daryl in a soft voice, "He's safe."

The hunter slowly helped her off the ground and led her back to the others. Since her brother was gone, there was no reason for her to be at the door anymore.

"I think you're lying," Rick told Jenner. The doctor looked at the former sheriff in confusion. "About no hope...If that were true, you would have bolted with the rest and take the easy way out...You didn't. You choose the hard path. Why?"

It took a few moments for Jenner to speak, "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does matter," Rick argued, "You stayed when others ran. Why?"

"Not because I wanted to," Jenner said standing up and getting in Rick's face, "I made a promise...to her," he explained pointing to the big screen. The screen where he had showed the group the footage of the TS-19.

Kagome's eyes widened in realization, "My Kami."

"Subject nineteen was your wife," Lori stated.

Jenner nodded, "She begged me to keep going as long as I could...How could I say no? She was dying...It should have been me on that table."

Kagome shook her head in disagreement, "I don't think that's what your wife meant."

Everyone, including Jenner turned to her.

"What?" the doctor asked in confusion.

"I don't think your wife meant she wanted you to keep going till you find the cure," Kagome explained, "Maybe a part of her did but...She told you to keep going because she wanted you to live."

"How can you know that?" Jenner questioned her, shaking his head in denial. "How can you possibly know that?"

Kagome took a deep breath before she explained her reasoning, "Because I've been where you are."

Everyone raised a brow in confusion at the priestess.

It took a moment before Kagome could explain what she meant. "The man I loved was murdered right in front of me...Because of his bravery, he saved me and our friends. When he died I became depressed. And didn't feel like I could move on...I even thought about joining him in the afterlife more times then I'd care to admit." The group stared at the priestess in bewilderment. Kagome had never really talked about herself or her past all that much when they were at the Quarry. They had no idea of how much she had suffered before the world went to hell. "If it wasn't for my family, I probably would have." Jenner looked to the ground, knowing where the priestess was coming from. "But one day I realized something...The man I loved didn't sacrifice his life just for me to give up living so easily. He did what he had to, because he wanted me to survive...I think your wife wanted the same for you."

Daryl couldn't help but look at Kagome in a new light. Here she was revealing something so personal about herself, that any other person wouldn't want to relive, but was still trying to help someone she barely knew. 'Like she always does,' he noted.

Jenner was chocked up by Kagome's confession. Maybe what she was saying was true. He wished he had her courage to move on like she had done.

Instead, he did the only thing he could do, "I told you the front doors were locked...I can't open those for you," he said in regret before he went over to the table and opened the door between this room and the hallway.

Everyone's eyes widened as the door sank into the floor.

"Come on," Daryl urged as he and the group ran to the hallway.

Kagome took a quick look at Jenner, "Thank you."

Jenner nodded towards her before he grabbed Rick to whisper something very important in his ear.

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"Everyone grab your stuff," Shane ordered as they ran down the hall towards the rooms they had been staying in, knowing they had very little time.

The group halted in surprise when they saw that almost everyone's stuff was already out in the hallway.

That's when Souta came out of T-Dog's and Glenn's room, carrying their bags in each arm.

Glenn couldn't help but smile at the young Higurashi, "Alright Souta," the Korean praised.

Kagome would have normally snapped at her brother for not doing what she had told him, but right now she was so grateful that he didn't.

Everyone, including Rick when he finally came back, grabbed their belongings and rushed to the front doors of the CDC.

T-Dog, Glenn, Daryl, Shane, and Rick banged and yanked on the doors trying to open them, but they didn't budge. Feeling desperate, they slammed the axes and other weapons they had to break the glass on the windows.

There efforts didn't even leave a scratch.

"Everyone get down," Shane ordered as she pointed his shot gun at the glass.

The group braced themselves, as the shots were fired.

"The glass won't break?" Sophia said in fear, once she saw that the gun shots didn't do anything.

Souta went over to her and grabbed her hand in comfort. Kagome stood behind the two children, with an arm on each of their shoulders.

"Rick," Carol called out for him as she began to go through one of her bags, "I have something that might help."

"I don't think a nail file is going to cut it," Shane remarked rudely.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his snarky comment.

Carol didn't listen, "Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform," she said as she found what she was looking for and pulled it out of the bag. It was a grenade, "This was in the pocket."

Carol handed Rick the grenade.

Seeing the grenade everyone moved out of the way to duck and cover. Kagome dragged Souta and Sophia down to the ground and covered them with her body to protect them. Carol came over next to them and laid down to cover the rest of Sophia's body.

Rick set the grenade next to the window and pulled its pin before making a run for it to avoid the blast.

The grenade went off causing a fire explosion strong enough to break one of the glass windows.

"Oh thank Kami," Kagome said in relief as she grabbed her brother and practically dragged him outside. The rest of the group followed her example, heading to their vehicles.

A few Walkers were outside heading towards them but luckily Daryl, Shane and Rick shot them before they could come to close to them.

"Come on," Daryl urged Kagome and Souta to come to his truck, which they immediately followed. As soon as the made it, they through their belongings in the bed of the truck and quickly jumped inside the vehicle.

The hunter fumbled with his keys in a panic once he got in the truck, trying to get it started.

Kagome watched the others going into their cars when she noticed a few of them missing.

Dale, Andrea and Jacqui.

"Where are they?" Kagome questioned in a panic.

"There they are," Souta pointed out when he saw Andrea and Dale rushing out of the building.

"But where's?" Kagome began to ask, before they heard honking from the RV.

"Get down!" Lori yelled from out the RV window.

Kagome forced Souta down into the seat, as she put herself on top of him wanting to protect him from the explosion.

The priestess suddenly felt Daryl's body come on top of hers.

They heard the explosion that was only yards away from them. The ground vibrated from the blast and shook the truck vigorously. They could also hear the rubble from the building landing around them.

When the tremor from the blast was over, Daryl slowly lifted himself up to look at the damage that was done.

The CDC was up in flames.

"It's over," he told the Higurashi siblings.

Kagome and Souta slowly got up from their crouched positions.

"Did Jacqui get out?" the priestess couldn't help but ask.

The hunter shook his head no.

Kagome got teary eyed at the thought of never seeing the sweet woman again. They lost another good friend today. 'Thank Kami Andrea and Dale made it out,' the priestess thought briefly.

Suddenly, Souta started sobbing as he hugged his sister tightly. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he cried into her mid-section, "I'm sorry." His sister hugged him back as shushed him and told him everything was okay.

Daryl gave his own sigh of relief as he started his truck and began to follow the RV and the rest of the group. He looked over at Kagome, who was still holding her brother as he cried, glad that they were able to stay together.

Kagome felt the hunter's eyes on her and turned her head to look at him, and sent him a grateful smile. Daryl had tried so hard to break down that door so that she could get to her brother. He also did everything possible to protect them once they got out of that awful room. She wasn't going to forget that.

As they continued to follow their group down the road, only one thing was going through everyone's mind.

Where do they go from here?

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The next day, after they regrouped from the whole CDC experience, Rick and Shane talked and finally agreed that they should head to Fort Benning.

Everyone gathered up their supplies and began rationing the gas from the cars that they planned on leave behind. Mainly Shane's jeep, T-Dog's van, and Daryl's truck. Leaving only the RV, Carol's car, and Merle's motorcycle which Daryl refused to leave behind.

Before everyone loaded up into the cars Carl and Sophia walked up to Kagome with her brother in tow.

"Kagome, can Souta ride with us?" Carl asked the priestess, as his parents and Carol all got inside Carol's Cherokee car.

Kagome looked over at Souta, who was begging with his eyes for her to say yes, and shrugged, "If your parents don't mind, then its fine with me."

"They said it was okay already," Sophia said in delight.

Souta went over and hugged her sister, "Thanks Kagome."

The priestess couldn't help but smile. She just couldn't get over how amazing it was to hear Souta speak again. After she let her brother go off with his friends, she began to head towards the RV.

"Gonna ride with me, Chun-Li?" Daryl asked as she passed by, packing the rest of his stuff on Merle's bike.

Kagome halted and gave Daryl an amused raised brow, "Okay first off, no to that nick name. And second," she looked at the bike and considered going with him. "Well, maybe it's best if I go in the RV. I don't want you to mess up driving if we hit a tight spot on the road."

The hunter couldn't help but give a half smirk, "Not scared are ya?"

She gave him a mock glare, "No I'm not," Kagome assured, "But, thanks for the offer."

The hunter shrugged, before he noticed Kagome's hair. "Still no hair tie, huh?" he pointed out her long locks still being down.

Kagome sighed, and turned back around, "Nope. Hope I can find one somewhere though."

"Why bother? Jus' leave it down," Daryl suggested trying to act nonchalant.

The priestess raised a brow, "Why do you even care?"

Daryl didn't have a really good come back. Honestly it was because he thought her hair looked better that way. But the hunter didn't have the nerve to tell her that. "Just leave it down, will ya," he said in mild annoyance.

Kagome gave a look of confusion, "Umm okay," she promised before she stepped into the RV baffled by Daryl's behavior.

Once everyone was settled in their vehicles, Daryl rode his motorcycle up front, followed by the RV and Carol's Cherokee.

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The group had been on the road for hours.

Kagome sat next to Glenn as he read the map at the passenger seat of the RV. He had been navigating the best route to Fort Benning while giving Kagome a chance to read and study the map. 'Never know what might happen,' she thought.

"Was all that true?" Glenn suddenly asked Kagome, making her turn to look at him in confusion, "What you said the other day at the CDC?"

The priestess took a moment to answer before she nodded, "Yes. It was all true."

"Why didn't you ever tell us before?" Dale asked as he drove.

"It's not exactly something you want to bring up in pleasant conversation," she pointed out, "And I haven't really talked about it in a long time."

Dale nodded in understanding, "I'm sorry about your loss...I lost my wife to cancer. I know how much it hurts." Kagome gave him a sympathetic look when he referred to his deceased wife. "Was he the one that gave you that necklace?" he gestured to the Jewel around Kagome's neck.

"No," she told him as she played with the hollowed Shikon no Tama, "This has a completely different story to it...You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Glenn snorted, "Oh come on. You said the same thing in Atlanta," he whined, making Kagome chuckle.

Suddenly, Daryl began to slow down to a halt on his motorcycle as they came up to a huge traffic jam in the road. The priestess had never seen anything like it before. Cars were in all random directions, obviously abandoned by their owners. There as even an eighteen wheeler on its side.

Daryl turned his motorcycle around and pulled up to the driver side of the RV.

"Do you see a way through?" Dale asked him. The hunter made a gesture with his head for Dale to follow him as he turned his bike around again.

"Maybe we should go back," Glenn suggested, "There's an interstate we could take."

"We can't spare the fuel," Dale pointed out.

Kagome glanced over in the RV side mirror and saw Carol's Cherokee following them. 'I hope Souta's alright back there.'

With Daryl's careful maneuvering, Dale followed slowly with his RV through the traffic maze. Everything was going fine until the RV's engine overheated and smoke suddenly started coming out of the grill, causing Dale to curse.

Everyone stopped their vehicles and went to check the RV.

"I said it," Dale said in annoyance as he stormed out of the RV, with everyone coming out one by one. "Didn't I say it. A thousand times. 'Dead in the water.'"

"What's the problem Dale?" Shane asked, with a shot gun in hand just in case.

Dale looked at the deputy, "Just the small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of," he suddenly stopped and took a good look at his surroundings of the sea of unattended vehicles. "Okay that was dumb," he admitted, realizing that there had to be at least one car that had what they needed.

Shane smirked, "If you can't find a radiator hose here?" he gestured at all the cars.

Daryl lifted the back of a random car and began scavenging its contents, "There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find," he pointed out.

"Siphon gas for starters," T-Dog suggested.

"Maybe some water," Carol pointed out. Kagome and Souta looked at one another and nodded in agreement.

Lori shook her head, "This is a graveyard," she informed making some people stop in their actions. "I don't know how I feel about this."

Kagome looked at Lori in understanding. In the Feudal Era, she had to go through multiple battle fields and sometimes slaughtered villages in the search for the Jewel Shards. All the dead bodies she had to see and bury almost made it unbearable. However, Kagome and her friends had to move forward in order to complete their quest. 'Just like we have to move forward to survive,' the priestess thought before mumbling a small prayer for those who had died on this highway.

Souta noticed his sister's actions and followed her example in respect for the dead.

"Come on y'all," Shane snapped them out of it, "Let's gather what we can."

"Let's go, Souta," Kagome said as she gestured her brother to follow her as she headed to look through some nearby cars. The young Higurashi came obediently to her. "Where's your knife?" she asked him.

Souta pulled the weapon out of his pocket and showed it to her.

The priestess nodded, "Good. But we should find you another weapon soon."

"Why?" he asked confused, "We have guns."

Kagome shook her head, "Guns make noise," she reminded him. "And they can run out of bullets. You don't need to worry about that with knives and blades."

Souta nodded at the logic as the got next to a car. "But doesn't your bow run out of arrows?"

"Well yeah," Kagome replied a little stumped, "But I'm awesome, so I can keep them," she teased making the young Higurashi rolled his eyes. "It's been awhile since I gave you any survival tips, so we need to catch you up," she said making her brother's eyes widen in excitement. "We want to get into a car. What do we do first?"

Souta raised a brow, "Umm, we open the door?" he said as a question.

"Nope," she scolded as she shook her head, "First, you make sure there's nothing around you. You don't want anything living or dead sneaking up on you."

The young Higurashi nodded, since that did make sense, "Oh okay." Kagome gestured for him to go ahead and look around. Souta looked on both sides and behind him, "It's clear."

Kagome raised a brow, "You forgot to look somewhere," she pointed out. Souta looked around him and shrugged, not seeing what he missed, "You didn't look."

"Under the car," Daryl harshly whispered suddenly in warning and gestured for the Higurashi children to get low, "Get under the car."

Before Kagome could ask why, Daryl put a finger to his lips to silence her, before he pointed to his left.

Kagome and Souta's eyes widened as they saw a large herd of Walkers coming towards them.

Too many for them for the group to handle.

The priestess yanked her brother to the ground and pushed him under the car, before sliding down next to him on her belly.

Daryl nodded when he saw both Kagome and Souta were safe and went to take cover.

Souta looked over at Kagome in a panic.

'Don't move,' she mouthed to him.

Very slowly, the sounds of Walkers were passing by the car that the Higurashi siblings were hiding under. It took all Kagome had not to gag at the sight and smell coming from the Walkers rotting flesh. Souta's body was shaking next to her, but he tried his best to remain quiet.

It took a few minutes for the entire Walker herd to pass by them.

But it looked like everything went by fine.

Suddenly, they heard it.

A terrified scream.

Kagome's eyes widened, 'Sophia.'

 **Well that's a good a place as any to stop. A terrifying cliffy. I know what most of you are thinking. Is Sophia going to live or die? My answer to that is...Keep reading in find out. *insert devil horns appearing on my head here* So, what do you think so far? Next time: Little girl lost and a little boy shot.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	7. In The Blink Of an Eye

**Arrows and Scars**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **Guest: I wish I could, but you know how life can be. But I promise an update at least once a month.**

 **HellCat4Life: You have noooo idea how bad I want to answer your question. But I can't without giving away major spoilers.**

 **AnimeAngel240: Wow. Thank you so much for saying that. And don't worry, I plan to.**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: Lol glad you're enjoying it.**

 **Sesshiesfangirl (Guest): You're welcome.**

 **Diamondz-Love: Lol sorry. Here's your fix.**

 **Alice (Guest): ...Okay what do you mean by "vivement la suite" (strongly after)?**

 **lifelovelaugh: Sorry, couldn't resist. But I'm glad you still like it.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: Hehehe, I loved writing that part. I'm happy you liked it too.**

 **White Alchemist Taya: I'm glad you're happy with the pace. I didn't want them to be a couple just like that. I wanted there to be a little chemistry first.**

 **Spastic Freak: It's a good thing it's already here.**

 **MyworldMyImagination: I hear your plea my devoted reader. And thank you for the offer.**

 **KioshiUshima: *insert sigh here* Yes, Kagome does have this abilities and she will use them. However it does have limits. She can only sense souls if their right in front of her or close by. Will she help look for Sophia, yes. Will she be the one to find Sophia...read and find out.**

 **leslie2132: Wow, thank you so much.**

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 **Thank all of you for your reviews and support. And thank you to: The Laughing Willow, BookFinder, Nobodies Perfect-Not Even You, Anonymous Perspective, Haruka-Shir, leslie2132, newmanlillian4, Shope92y, kokoronagomu, sousie, persephone86, JadelynNB13, shenmi meiren, Davan33,** **Pokemon-Ranger-Aiko, Melanie Malfoy, BasicFuckingCourtesy, MoonStarFlower, NightNix, RosieSpectre, setrya, Applejax XD, Ashmo21, lildevil0644, Dusk Spark, Diamond Yandere, malucobanana, angelicalopez199017,** **LolitaHearts1, Shope92y, Sunstorme7613, DarkLord0012, Nemoa, Time Emperor, hatsunekingdom, jumpingmanatee,** **Willow121, Faux Princess, StygianJackal, TheWhiteWolf14 and ChaosIdeals**

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own nothing so no suing.

Chapter Seven: In the Blink of an Eye

"What happened?" Kagome asked, as she and Souta ran to the group after they crawled out of their hiding spot when the herd of Walkers were gone.

Carol was in tears while Lori tried to hold her back from going out into the woods next to the road, "There are two Walkers after my baby!" she cried out with worry.

Souta's eyes widened in fear, "Sophia," he whispered her name.

"Rick went after her," Lori explained to them.

All the group could do now was wait, agonizingly, for the two of them to return.

Every now and then Kagome would try to sense for Rick and Sophia's souls, but they were too far away for her powers to sense.

Souta kept pacing back and forth, wanting to know if Sophia was okay. His sister and some of the other adults teased him at the Quarry about having a crush on Sophia.

He got embarrassed by their bantering because it was true.

Souta did like Sophia.

She was the sweetest, smartest, most interesting girl Souta's ever met. When they were at the Quarry, even though Souta didn't talk, they always enjoyed each other's company. She made him feel better when they were at the CDC when he was upset. In the car ride, Souta sat in between her and Carl, and held Sophia's hand for the entire trip...He didn't ever want to let go.

Suddenly, the sound of someone rustling through the tress caught the groups' attention.

It was Rick.

Without Sophia.

Rick looked at the group in confusion and panic, "She didn't come back?"

'Oh no,' Kagome thought in alarm.

Carol began to cry in anguish.

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Once it was confirmed that Sophia was lost, Rick took Daryl, Shane, and Glenn to look for her. The priestess offered to help but the men told her to stay and help protect the others. Kagome frowned at the order, but knew that they were right. The priestess did however look at T-Dog, who cut himself very badly trying to hide from the herd of Walkers and did her best to care for his wound. 'Hopefully we'll find something that will prevent an infection,' she thought

Shane and Glenn returned after a few hours, saying that Rick and Daryl would continue to look. The former deputy ordered everyone to continue scavenging the cars and help clear the road.

Now Kagome, Souta and Carl were looking around the cars, trying to keep their minds off Sophia. The priestess frowned at how depressed the boys looked, "Don't worry you two, they'll find her," Kagome assured Souta and Carl.

Souta didn't say anything. He hated that he wasn't there to help Sophia. His sister was right, he needed to learn how to become stronger.

"You really think they will?" Carl asked her.

Kagome nodded, "If anyone can find her it'll be the two of them. Daryl's a good tracker, and your dad did find you and your mom," she reminded the youngest Grimes.

Carl nodded and began to look at the cars when something caught his eye. "What's that?" he pointed to an object that was connected to a dead body.

Kagome looked into the dirty window and saw what Carl was talking about. "I think that's...a hatchet. Good eye Carl," she praised the young Grimes. "You two watch my back," Kagome ordered the boys as she opened the car door. The priestess was wary of the body, making sure that it wasn't just a Walker at rest. She poked it with the end of her bow just to be sure. When the Walker didn't move, Kagome reached over to get the weapon. To her surprise, the hatched was poking out of a small black bag. She pulled the entire bag out and opened it to find a bunch of other hatches, knives, and blades.

"No way," Carl said in excitement when he saw all the weapons.

"Awesome," said Souta just as thrilled.

Kagome wrapped the bladed weapons back up and gave it to Carl, "Go give that to Shane." The young Grimes took the bag and ran off to tell Shane of their amazing find.

"Do you think I can have one of those?" Souta asked hesitantly as they continued to go through a nearby car.

"Of course you can," Kagome answered as she checked under a car before opening one of the doors, "I already said you needed another weapon."

"Good," Souta replied in relief.

Kagome turned around to look at her brother, having heard the reprieve in his voice. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him.

Souta shrugged, his face looking a little embarrassed, "I just...I need to learn."

The priestess nodded in understanding, "You realize that having a weapon and learning how to use is only a part of becoming stronger, right?" Souta tilted his head in confusion as Kagome kneeled down in front of him, "Sesshōmaru once told me something that his father told him...He asked Sesshōmaru if he had someone to protect. Do you know why?" she asked Souta, who his head no. "Because caring about other people gives you strength. Wanting to protect them gives you reason to grow stronger...So tell me Souta, do you have someone to protect?" she asked him.

The young Higurashi immediately nodded yes, "Yeah. There's you. There's the group and," he began to blush lightly, "And Sophia"

Kagome couldn't help but smile at her brother who was definitely smitten with Sophia. "She's a lucky girl," she told him, making her little brother blush even more and made him mutter 'shut up.'

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The day continued on.

The sun was slowly setting, getting darker by the minute.

The group had gathered all the food, water, first aid and all the other supplies they could and organized it for their journey for after they found Sophia.

Carol didn't move from her spot, looking into the woods waiting for her daughter to return safe and sound.

"They're back," Glenn pointed out as Rick and Daryl came back out of the woods.

Sophia wasn't with them.

Carol frowned, "You didn't find her," she whimpered to Rick and Daryl.

Rick shook his head, "The trail went cold. We'll pick it up again at first light," he promised Carol.

"No," Carol said with worry, "You can't leave my daughter out there on her own, to spend the night alone in the woods."

"Tumblin' around in the dark is no good," Daryl stated, "We'll just be trippin' over ourselves. More people could get lost."

"But she's only twelve," Carol argued as she continued to whimper, "She can't be out there on her own...You didn't find anything?" she asked in agony.

Kagome and Lori went to Carol's side, trying to console her.

"I know this is hard," Rick admitted, trying to keep Carol calm. "But we can't panic. We know Sophia's out there."

Daryl nodded, "We tracked her for a while."

"We need to make this an organized effort," Rick told Carol and the others. "Daryl knows the woods better than anybody, so I asked him to oversee this."

"What about Kagome?" Souta spoke up, making the adults look at him. "She's been in the woods for weeks at a time before."

Rick looked at the priestess in surprise, "That true?"

Kagome nodded, "I'm not as skilled as Daryl at tracking, but I know my way around. I'll do whatever I can to help."

The former police man nodded gratefully.

"Is-is that blood?" Carol hesitantly asked, pointing to the fresh blood on Daryl's shirt and pants.

Rick sighed, "We took down a Walker, but there wasn't any sign that it went near Sophia."

"How can you know that?" Andrea asked skeptically.

"We cut the son of a bitch open to make sure," Daryl answered while he assured Carol.

Carol began hyperventilating as she lowered herself to the guardrail on the side of the road to sit down. She glared at Rick sinisterly, "How could you leave her out there to begin with?" she accused, "How could you just leave her?"

"We had two Walkers on us," Rick tried to defend his actions, "I had to draw them off. It was Sophia's best chance."

"He didn't have a choice, Carol," Shane interjected.

Carol was still unconvinced, "How is she supposed to find her way back on her own? She's just a child."

Rick kneeled down to look Carol in the eye, "It was the only option. It was the only choice I could make."

Carol sniffled, "My little girl got left in the woods."

Kagome sat down next to her, "We'll find Sophia, Carol," she promised, "No matter what it takes."

The priestess refused to let anyone else die.

Not if she could help it.

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Daryl prepared his sleeping bag inside a random pick-up truck on the road. Not really wanting to be stuck in the crowded RV. He also didn't want to be stuck around Carol, who was crying her eyes out.

Daryl didn't know how to handle crying women.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be by yourself?" Kagome asked as she walked up to the truck, carrying a spare blanket.

"S'fine," he assured.

Kagome shrugged, "Well, take this then," she said while offering the blanket, Daryl took it and nodding his thanks, "You okay?" Kagome figured that with Merle missing, the CDC fiasco, and now Sophia being lost, was probably taking its toll on the hunter.

Daryl didn't respond right away. He wasn't really the kind of man that talked about his feelings with anyone. In fact, the hunter wasn't really used to anyone bother to ask what he was feeling at all. "Nothin' you need to worry your head over," he answered a little harshly.

The priestess rolled her eyes, "Sorry for caring," she responded unaffected. "Well, good night Tenshi," she said before she turned around to go back to the RV.

The hunter raised a brow, "What'cha just call me?"

"Tenshi," she replied after turning around, "It's my new nick name for you."

"What's it mean?" he asked curiously.

Instead of answering, Kagome gave him a fake naïve smile and turned to go back to the RV.

"Hey," he called out to her, "Aren't you gonna tell me?"

"Nope," she answered in amusement, "I'll answer your question, when you pick out a good nick name for me."

Daryl glared into Kagome's back as she walked away, 'Crazy woman,' he thought before smirking.

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Sophia whimpered from her hiding spot on floor of the pantry that was in a house she found in the woods. She had just finished eating a can of sardines she salvaged inside one of the kitchen cabinets.

She couldn't believe she had gotten so lost.

Sophia was on her way back to the interstate, just like Rick said, but a Walker saw her and she ran away making her sense of direction get all turned around. She even dropped the doll that Eliza had given her before they left the Quarry, losing her only source of comfort.

The little girl stumbled around the woods this whole time trying to find her way back. She wanted to call for her mother but was afraid of the Walkers hearing her.

Sophia missed her mother.

She missed the group.

...She missed Souta.

It was dark outside now, and Sophia couldn't recall being so frightened in her life.

'Mama where are you?' she cried to herself, 'Please find me...Someone...Anyone...Please find me.'

Suddenly a noise from the house made the little girl freeze in fear. The sound of footsteps echoed the halls of the house making Sophia whimper. She knew it couldn't have been the group because the intruder didn't call out her name or even speak. Sophia quickly covered her mouth to keep silent, hoping whatever was in the house didn't hear her.

The footsteps continued.

Growing louder and louder with every step.

Sophia's eyes watered with tears when she saw a shadow appear beneath the pantry door.

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The next morning, the group woke up ready to look for Sophia.

"Everyone takes a weapon," Rick informed everyone as he set out the arsenal set that Kagome and the boys had found.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need," Andrea stated her opinion, "What about the guns?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. Andrea had been complaining about having a gun since yesterday. To be honest, it was starting to get on Kagome's nerves, 'She's getting a weapon, what's the big deal?'

"We've been over that," Shane answered the blond woman, "Daryl, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping rounds every time a tree rustles."

"It's not the trees I'm worried about," Andrea muttered.

Shane sighed, "Say someone fires a shot at the wrong moment, then a whole herd can come down us. Then it's game over for everyone. So you need to get over it," he snapped at her.

Andrea glared at him.

Kagome sighed at the blond woman's behavior, before she walked over to the arsenal with Souta. "Which one do you want?" she asked her brother.

Souta looked at them, not really sure which one to choose, "Which would you pick?"

"It's your weapon, Souta. You pick the one you think suits you," Kagome told him.

The young Higurashi looked at the weapons again before something caught his eye. An Epic silver bladed knife that had a black handle. Souta liked the feeling of the grip and nodded, "This one."

Kagome took it from him and inspected it, "Another knife, huh. Well, looks like you're going to need a lot of practice on different ways to use them," she reminded him.

"I will," Souta promised as he strapped the weapon to his side and went to show it to Carl.

"Is it okay to let him walk around with that?" Dale asked the priestess from next to the RV, as the others were picking their weapons. "He's got everyone to help look after him," he pointed out.

Kagome nodded yes to his question, "I'd rather Souta have a weapon and not use it, then not have a weapon and need it," Kagome explained to him. "But thank you for worrying, Dale," she smiled in appreciation towards the elderly man.

Dale smiled back at her, "Any time."

"The idea is to take the creek up five miles and then walk down on the other side" Daryl explained his plan, "Chances are Sophia will be by the creek, it's her only landmark."

"Stay quiet and stay sharp," Rick followed up, "Keep space between you and always stay in sight of each other."

Everyone nodded in understanding except for Dale and T-Dog since they were going to stay with the RV.

As Kagome and Souta prepared their bags, Andrea marched up to Dale and asked for her gun back.

Again.

Dale had been hesitating to do so, since Andrea had chosen to take Jenner's offer to stay at the CDC as it exploded. The blond woman continue to argue with him, saying he had no right to keep her gun from her. Everyone else tried to not listen in on their conversation but it was really hard not to with Andrea raising her voice. It got even higher when she admitted that she hadn't forgiven Dale for forcing her to leave the CDC by staying with her.

"I saved your life," Dale said to Andrea in a calm voice.

"No Dale," she snapped at him, "I saved yours. You forced that on me. I didn't want your blood on my hands, and that is the only reason I left that building. God, what did you expect? That I'd have an epiphany or a life confirming catharsis."

Dale shrugged, "Maybe...a little gratitude."

Kagome winced at his response.

"That was bad, right?" Souta whispered to his sister.

"Very," she confirmed to her little brother. Honestly, Kagome understood both sides, 'But Andrea's being a little bit to snippy.'

"Gratitude?" Andrea repeated Dale's words in disbelief, "I chose to die my way. Not torn apart by drooling freaks. That was my choice...You took that way from me, Dale. Cause you know better, right?" she mockingly asked him. "After Amy all I wanted was to get out of this nightmare we live every day...You took my choice away, Dale. And you expect gratitude?"

"I," Dale said stumped, "I don't know what to say."

"I'm not your little girl," Andrea reminded him, "I'm not your wife. And I'm sure as hell ain't your problem...That's all there is to say," she stated before she walked away in an angry huff.

Kagome gave Dale a look of sympathy, before the group made their way into the woods. 'The poor guy,' she thought sadly.

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The group stayed in a line, with Daryl and Kagome close to the front while Shane stayed in the back.

Daryl was the first to spot something in the distance. He gestured Kagome and Rick to look at what he found.

A yellow tent.

Kagome readied an arrow on her bow and signaled Souta to get his new knife out, as they slowly approached the tent.

"She could be in there," Shane stated with a whisper.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there," Daryl retorted as he got closer to examine the tent quietly

Kagome used her priestess senses to scan the tent for a living soul. Unfortunately, she couldn't sense Sophia's pure soul, or another living soul, inside of the tent. The priestess mentally cursed at her inability to sense Walkers. 'Please, don't let there be one inside,' she prayed

Rick called over for Carol, saying how she should be the one to call out for Sophia. The priestess wanted to vocalize how no one living was inside but couldn't come up with an excuse of how she would know that.

"Sophia?" Carol called out. No one answered, "Sweetie you in there? Sophia its mommy...Sophia we're all here, baby."

When no one came out, Daryl slowly opened the tent door and went inside. He was in there a few moments before he came out. "It ain't her," he told the group.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief before giving a look of disappointment.

"What's in there?" asked Andrea curiously.

"Some guy," Daryl answered, "Like what Jenner had said. He opted out."

Suddenly, the sound of loud church bells hit everyone's ears.

"What the?" Kagome voiced in confusion.

Rick figured out the direction the noise was coming from and gestured for the group to follow him.

"Which way?" Rick asked when he became confused of where the bells were coming from.

"I think that way," Shane pointed, "But it's hard to tell out here."

"Well if we hear them maybe Sophia does too," Carol suggested hopefully.

Glenn voiced his opinion, "Maybe they're calling others."

"Maybe they're signaling they found her," Andrea guessed.

"She could be ringing them herself," Shane proposed.

"Only one way to find out," Kagome replied to all of them as she tried to find the source of the noise. "Shane's right, it's that way," she pointed before they all headed in that direction.

It took a few minutes until the group found a church that they assumed the bells had been coming from since they stopped abruptly a minute ago.

"That can't be it," Shane stated skeptically, "It's got no steeple or bells."

Rick kept walking towards the church, wanting to be sure. The group raced over to the church, and looked for the entrance. Rick silenced the group and made a gesture for Kagome to keep an eye out for Walker.

Sensing no living soul inside, Kagome turned and kept an arrow ready on her bow as she looked around the church grounds.

Sure enough, a few Walkers were inside the church. Rick, Shane, and Daryl took care of them with their arsenal weapons.

Once the dead were taken care of Rick yelled out "Sophia!" as he searched the church.

Kagome scanned the area both visually and with her holy powers for anything living, and didn't sense anyone. She placed the bow back in her quiver and made her way inside the church with the others. "Keep your guard up," she cautioned her brother, who kept his knife out and ready to use.

Daryl looked around the church and looked at the cross that held Jesus being crucified, "Hey J.C, you takin' request?" he asked with no amusement.

"You shouldn't mock faith," Kagome warned the hunter.

Shane huffed before looking to his best friend, "I'm telling you man, it's the wrong church."

As if to mock the former deputy, the bells rang again.

They were much louder than they were before since it was coming from directly outside the building.

Daryl ran out the building first and quickly found the source of the bells.

It was the church alarm. Glenn quickly found the fuse box and switched it off.

"A timer...It's on a timer," Daryl told the others, making them all sigh again in disappointment.

Carol shook her head, "I'm going back in for a bit," she told everyone as she began to go inside the church. "Co-Could you come with me, Kagome?" she asked hesitantly, knowing that Kagome was a priestess since Souta mentioned it at the CDC.

Kagome nodded, "Could you keep an eye on Souta?" she asked Daryl, who she knew she could trust with her brother. The hunter nodded yes before he watched Kagome walk into the church.

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Kagome rubbed Carols shoulder soothingly as they kneeled in front of the cross that held a crucified Jesus. Lori came into the church as well and sat behind them in one of the pews. Rick, Carl, Souta, Daryl and Glenn stayed at the back of the church wall.

"Father forgive me," Carol started to pray out loud, "I don't deserve your mercy. I prayed for safe passage to Atlanta and you provided...I prayed for Ed to be punished for laying his hands on me...And for looking at his own daughter with whatever sickness was growing in his soul."

Both Kagome and Lori couldn't help but gasp at what they just heard. They knew that Ed was hurting Carol, but they had no idea that he was looking at Sophia 'that' way

Souta's fist clenched at what he heard Carol confess Ed's sick thoughts. Sophia had told him about how her father had look at her. It made Souta sick to his stomach whenever he saw Ed near her at the Quarry. Sophia also confessed an even darker secret later on. About how her father had tried to touch her once. Luckily for her, Ed stopped himself, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing before leaving her alone. The way she described it, Ed was terrified of touching her, as if something bad would happen to him if he did. Sophia didn't understand why he acted that way, but thanked God that someone or something watching out for her.

"I prayed for you to put a stop to it," Carol continued pray as she whimpered. "Give me a chance to raise Sophia right and mend my mistakes...She's so fearful...She's young...She hasn't had a chance...Praying for Ed's death was a sin. Please, don't let this be my punishment. Let her be safe. Alive and safe...Please Lord, punish me however you want, but show mercy on her," she begged before she stood up and went to the pew to cry her eyes out.

Kagome stayed where she was, 'Please Kami, do whatever you can to keep that little girl safe so she can be with her mother again...And Merle too, so his brother won't be alone anymore,' she finished before going back to sit with Lori and Carol.

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The group took a couple more minutes inside the church to regroup before heading back outside.

It was going to be dark in a few more hours and from what Kagome could tell, everyone was exhausted.

Rick and Shane talked silently to each other before they made a decision.

"You guys follow the other side of the creek and head back," Shane ordered, "Daryl you're in charge. Rick and I are going to hang back and search the area for another hour, just to be thorough."

"You're splittin' us up?" Daryl asked surprised, "You sure?"

Shane nodded yes, "We'll catch up to you."

Souta looked over to Kagome, "I want to keep looking with them."

The priestess looked from her brother to Rick and Shane, "You guys can use some extra eyes."

Shane looked at Rick, who shrugged, "I guess its fine."

"I want to stay too," Carl said to his parents, "Sophia's my friend."

Lori opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to protest before she closed it smiled at her son. "Be-be careful okay," she told him before kissing his forehead and hugging him, "When did you start growing up?" she playfully complained.

Daryl looked over at Kagome, "You know the way back?" he asked her.

"Yes," Kagome replied, "We'll meet you back at the RV," she promised.

It took the hunter a few moments to nod.

"Here take this," Rick took his gun and handed it to Lori, who shook her head no.

"I'm not leaving you unarmed," she scolded.

Daryl rolled his eyes and pulled something from the back of his pants pocket, "Here," he said giving Lori a gun, "I got a spare. Take it."

Andrea looked at the exchange furiously, while the others looked confused.

With that, everyone off.

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Rick, Shane, Kagome, Souta and Carl continued to search the woods that was close to the church for the next half hour.

The priestess sighed when she found no sign of Sophia anywhere. However, her face did light up a little when she spotted a familiar plant. "Jackpot," Kagome muttered when she leaned down and began to pick the familiar herb.

"What is that?" Carl asked her curiously.

Kagome showed it to him the plant, "Ginseng," she answered, "It helps the immune system. The groups going to need this since we don't have proper diets," she said before putting it in the red backpack she was carrying.

Rick looked at the young woman impressed, "Where'd you learn about that?"

"From an old woman I used to know," Kagome answered as she secured her bag, "She taught me everything I know about medicinal herbs and remedies. Helped out a lot when I was in the woods."

Shane shook his head, "What were you in the woods for?"

The priestess took a moment to answer, "I had my reasons," she answered vaguely.

Suddenly, the sound of leaves moving made the group pause and look around.

Rick was the first to notice the source of the noise.

It was a deer.

Carl looked at the wild animal in amazement.

Souta looked down in disappointment, 'It's not Sophia.'

Kagome saw her brother's displeasure and gave him a one armed side hug.

Shane raised his rifle, ready to shoot the deer so they could have some meat for the group tonight. Rick halted his friend's actions when he saw his son slowly walking closer to the deer.

It was a pleasant sight to behold.

A little boy be entranced by the small amount of beauty that this disastrous world offered.

Even Rick and Shane smiled at what they were seeing in front of them.

Suddenly, a gunshot was fired, killing the majestic moment.

Both the deer and Carl suddenly fell to the ground.

The adults grew pale and Souta's eyes widened in disbelief when they saw the blood coming from Carl's abdomen.

"No," Rick said as he ran down to kneel to his son, "No, no, no, no!" he muttered over and over.

"Is he dead?" Souta asked in horror.

Kagome ran over and began to put pressure on his wound. Carl's soul hadn't left his body, meaning that he was still alive. 'And I'll be damned if I let this boy die,' she swore.

"Move," Shane ordered the priestess as he removed his belt and wrapped it around Carl's body as a tourniquet. Kagome instantly put her hands back on the wound when the former deputy was finished.

"Oh my God," a man with a shot gun came out of nowhere, "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't see him," he stuttered in a panic.

Rick looked at the unknown man with hatred. The sheriff swiftly took out his hand gun and aimed it at the man's head. The unknown man held up his hands in surrender and terror.

"Rick," Shane yelled at his friend, not wanting him to do something stupid.

"Carl still has a pulse," Kagome told the men, after she checked the boy's for any sign of life.

Rick continued to point his gun at the unknown man who shot his son, before he switched the safety off.

The man shook his head in a panic, "Wait wait, I know someone who can help the boy. He doesn't live far from here."

Rick eyes widened with hope before he put his gun away and pick up Carl from the ground, "Which way?"

The unknown man pointed in the direction, making Rick take off running.

Shane grabbed the unknown man by the back of his neck and forced him forward, "Let's go, shit-head" he ordered.

Kagome and Souta followed, running behind them.

Rick struggled to keep Carl in his arms as he ran, but he still didn't give up. "How far?!" Rick yelled behind him, seeing the unknown man so far behind him being dragged by Shane.

"Just keep going half a mile that way!" the man said out of breath, "Ask for Hershel, he'll help your boy!" Shane picked up the man again and forced him to keep moving.

Having heard the information, Kagome shrugged off her backpack and gave it to her brother, who stumbled as he caught it in his arms. With the weight off her back, the priestess was able to run faster. After she passed Rick, Kagome kept running until she found the place the man had promised.

A farm.

"HELP!" Kagome yelled out towards the house at the top of her lungs, "HERSEHL! WE NEED HERSHEL!"

The priestess could see someone outside the house, "Dad!" she heard them shout.

By the time Kagome made it to the front yard of the house, a group of people came out of the house. An elderly man, two young woman, a teenage boy, and a middle aged blond woman. The teenage boy held a bat in his hand in a threatening matter.

"Wait!" Kagome urged, "We need Hershel's help! A young boy was shot by a man that knows you!"

"Otis?" the blond woman answered before she gasped at the sight of Rick carrying a wounded Carl in his arms.

"Which one of you is Hershel? Is that you?" Rick asked the old man.

Hershel nodded yes and ordered his family to get him the medical supplies they needed. Rick followed the group with Carl in his arms, while Kagome stayed outside and waited for Souta, Shane and Otis to come.

Souta jogged as fast as he could while carrying his sister's bag, "Is Carl okay?" he asked out of breath.

Kagome nodded as she made her brother drop the bag to the ground and placed her hands on Souta's shoulders, "He's with people who can help him. They're going to try and save him."

It took a few more minutes for Shane to catch up with Otis in tow.

Rick came out of the house slowly, his shirt completely soaked in Carl's blood, before he sat down on the step and stared at the ground. Rick wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, which smeared Carl's blood on his face. His body was going through shock over seeing his son in this condition.

Souta couldn't handle the sight and ran inside to see what was going on with Carl.

Kagome and Shane looked at one another before looking back to Rick. The priestess kneeled in front of the former police officer with worry, "Rick you need to hold it together," she urged him, "Your son needs you right now." Shane offered a dirty rag to Kagome, allowing her to wipe the blood off of Ricks face.

"Let's go back inside," Shane encouraged his best friend after Kagome cleaned his face.

Rick slowly nodded before they made their way back inside the house.

"Do you know his blood type?" Hershel asked Rick once he came into the room that Carl was in. He was holding a bandage over the young Grimes wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"A-Positive," Rick weakly answered, "Same as mine."

Hershel nodded, "Well that's fortunate. Don't wander too far, we're going to need you."

"I'm A-Positive too," Souta admitted, making the adults look at him. "I am right?" he asked his sister to be sure.

Kagome nodded, "Yes. Can he help?" she asked the old man.

"I hope it won't come to that," Hershel admitted, not wanting to take blood from a child. But this was a fragile and possibly desperate situation. "What happened?" he asked looking at Otis.

Otis was finally over his shock, "I-I was tracking a buck. A bullet went clean through it."

Hershel nodded, "That slowed the bullet down. It probably saved the boy's life...But it didn't go through clean. It broke up into pieces. I'll need to go in and remove them."

Souta gaged at the information.

"Come on," Kagome urged her brother to go into the other room and let these people work.

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Kagome held Souta as they sat in a couch in the living room of the house. Rick and Shane sat across from them. Every one of them had worried looks on their faces.

"Why did I let him come with us?" Rick asked, breaking the silence, "I should have sent him with Lori."

Shane shook his head, "Don't do this, man."

"Sophia is one of his best friends. And Carl wanted to help find her," Kagome reminded Rick.

"When a little girl goes missing you look for her. That's simple," Rick muttered, "But you said to call it and head back," he told Shane. "Carl got shot because of me."

Kagome shook her head, "Don't do that, Rick," she urged, knowing exactly what was going through his mind, "Blaming yourself isn't going to help your son."

"It should be me in there," Rick admitted in anguish, "It should have been me."

Shane shook his head, "You've been there before, Partner," he reminded Rick, "You pulled through it and so will he."

Rick looked to his friend questioningly, "Is that why I got out of that hospital? Found my family? Just for it to end here? Is this some kind of sick joke?!"

Kagome shushed Rick, not wanting him to say that in front of Souta.

"Rick," the young brown haired woman named Maggie came out of the room Carl was in, "He needs blood." The sheriff immediately got up and went into the room with Shane close behind him.

Kagome and Souta could hear the sound of Carl's cries and Rick's screams.

Souta sniffled and wiped a few tears from his eyes, "I can't lose another friend."

Kagome wiped one of her brother's cheeks with her thumb and kissed his forehead, "You're not going to lose a friend, okay," she said trying to comfort him. "Carl's going to pull through this, and we're going to find Sophia," she promised him.

A few minutes later, Shane stormed into the room, with Otis behind him, and looked at Kagome. "We need your help," he begged, "Lori doesn't know about Carl. She needs to be here."

The priestess nodded in understanding before she turned to Hershel's group, "Can I borrow a car?" she asked.

"We need my truck to get some supplies for the surgery that the boy needs," Otis explained, "The other cars don't handle the off roads so well."

"Damn it," Kagome cursed, knowing it would take forever to get back to the group on foot.

"I'll take you," Maggie offered, "My horse is ready to go."

The priestess nodded, before she kneeled down to Souta, "I'm going to bring Lori here, and I'll be back okay?"

Surprisingly, Souta shook his head no. "You can't," he told her, "If I have to stay and help Carl, then that means you have to help look for Sophia."

Kagome's eyes widened, "But Souta."

" **Please,"** Souta interrupted, begging her in Japanese, **"Please Kagome, you have to find her."**

Kagome sat there stunned by her brother's courage and request. It took her a few moments to respond, "Alright."

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"This way?" Maggie asked as she looked over her shoulder while riding her horse.

"Yes," Kagome answered from behind her. They were making excellent time on Maggie's horse. The young brown haired woman offered to go get Lori on her own, just to be faster, but Kagome pointed out that the group may not believe that Rick was the one to send her.

Suddenly the sound of someone screaming reached their ears.

'That's Andrea,' Kagome thought with worry.

Maggie saw what was happening up ahead. One of the living dead was trying to attack a blond woman. Maggie grabbed the bat she brought and hit the walker in the head as she passed by on her horse.

"Lori," Kagome called out as she got off the horse.

"Kagome?" Lori asked in confusion as she saw the unknown woman, "What's going on?"

"It's Carl, he's been shot" Kagome said making Lori's eyes immediately widened in horror. "He's with someone who can help him, but he needs you."

Maggie turned her horse around, "Let's go." Lori took off her backpack and got on the horse. "Kagome said you have others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" Glenn was the only one to nod yes. "Turn back to Falburn road, two miles down is our farm. You'll find the mailbox, name's Green," she instructed before taking off on her horse with Lori secure behind her.

Kagome let out a relived breath as she saw them go.

The sound of snarling of the still 'living' Walker startled the group.

"Shut up," Daryl barked as he pointed his cross bow and shot the Walker right in the brain. He walked over to Kagome, "The hell happened?"

"It was a hunting accident," Kagome explained, "A man was trying to shoot a deer and ended up hitting Carl too. That girl's father knows how to save him."

"Where's Souta?" Glenn asked with worry.

"He wanted to stay and help Carl," Kagome answered, "They have the same blood type."

Carol's eyes widened at the seriousness of Carl's condition, "My God."

Kagome turned over to Andrea, who was frozen in place on the ground, "Andrea? You okay?"

Instead of answering, the blond woman suddenly got up and began to make a beeline towards the highway.

"Guess that's a no," Daryl muttered.

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"What do you mean he was shot?" Dale asked in surprise when the group came back to the interstate. Kagome explained everything that had happened in detail. "I heard screaming, was that you?" he asked Andrea, who walked right passed him.

"She got attacked by a Walker," Glenn enlightened the old man, "It was a close call."

"Andrea, are you alright?" Dale called out to the blond with worry. Andrea turned to glare at Dale sinisterly.

Carol sat on the rail on the side of the road, once again staring at the woods where her daughter was lost.

Kagome sighed in disappointment they didn't find anything today before she looked over at Dale, "How's T-Dog? Did you find anything for his wound?" she asked with concern.

Dale shook his head as he gestured to T-Dog who was leaning next to the RV, "Nothing but Advil. And Kagome, I'm really worried. His veins are becoming discolored and he has a very bad fever. Do you have any of those herbs that can help him?"

The priestess quickly went over and checked T-Dog's wound. The wounded man didn't even seem to notice she was standing in front of him. He only flinched when she touched a sensitive part of the wound. Dale hadn't been jesting about the veins being discolored, 'This isn't good.'

"Well?" Dale asked, walking up next to her, hopefully.

"I don't have anything strong enough for a blood infection like this," Kagome said in regret, "He needs immediate care that only antibiotics can give him. Hopefully Hershel has something at his farm."

"We can't just leave," they heard Carol suddenly say.

"The group is split up, Carol," Dale tried to reason as he and Kagome walked back to the group, "We're weak."

Carol shook her head, "What if Sophia comes back and we're not here?"

Daryl nodded, "Alright, we'll wait to go tomorrow morning. That'll give us chance to rig a sign and leave her some supplies. We'll hold up tonight and stay in the RV."

"If the RV's staying, I'm staying," Dale said simply. Carol smiled in appreciation.

"I'm in," Andrea told them.

Glenn shrugged, "If you're all staying then."

"Not you Glenn," Dale interrupted, "T-Dog needs medicine."

The Korean sighed, "Why's it always gotta be me? What about Kagome?"

"I promised Souta that I'll keep looking for Sophia," the priestess explained to him.

"T-Dog needs to go," Dale informed Glenn, "He has a very serious blood infection."

Having heard this, Daryl went over to Merle's motorcycle. "Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle," he warned Dale as he threw a rag back to Dale who left in on the bike. "Why didn't you say somethin' sooner? I've got my brother's stash." Kagome's eyes widened at the Ziploc bag that held a handful of subscription bottles. "Let's see, Crystal, Ex, don't need that. Got kick ass pain killers," he tossed the subscription bottle to Glenn. "And some Oxicid, and not the generic stuff. First class...Merle got the Clap on occasion," he explained as he gave the medicine to Kagome.

Dale couldn't help but give a small smile in amusement. Kagome gave a look of disgust over Merle's condition, still she nodded at Daryl in gratitude.

After giving T-Dog the medicine, Glenn helped T-Dog into Carol's car and drove to the farm.

Kagome sighed in relief that T-Dog could finally get proper treatment for the wound. Once the car was out of sight, she went into the RV to lie down and try to get a little bit sleep.

It had been one long stressful day.

'I hope Sophia is safe and that Carl will be alright,' Kagome prayed.

 **Lots of drama in such a small amount of time. So what did you guys think? I would love to know. Next time: The search for Sophia continues and personal moments are shared.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	8. Hope for Something More

**Arrows and Scars**

 **AN: OMG The trailer for the next season of the Walking Dead is AWESOME! I can't wait XD!**

 ***insert clearing throat here* Anyway, I'd like to thank yourworldismine,** **save the sharks, MOONWOLF1234, jumpingmanatee, GreenHoneyTea, KioshiUshima, KuroKat013, Snickering Fox, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Diamondz-Love, KamilahKaliope, lifelovelaugh, masterbroly, GiggleboxGirlie,** **Applejax XD, CK (Guest), Sesshiesfangirl, Saricaykes, Wishuwerheer (Guest), DogDemoness108, Munyue, and TheOnyxSnake for your kind words in your reviews. And thank you to Lady of Jupiter, henkieshome, KamilahKaliope, lysia1982, Aeris Aimara Ciren, Sorceress Misha, StarRocker4600, Atea1793, Satisfactory Revenge, KyuuKyuu666, racdragon339, Baseele, Rising Angel 739, BillieCipher92, CrimsonClover26, Mystical Shadow Priestess, DogDemoness108, ruka126, PuriPuriBeth,** **yukicarr, Dendule95, Fay-fay 45, LightningThief47, Kristallos, Moonlit Magic, CelestiaSakura, Pearlmegan, BenSolo'sGirlfriend, GoldThesteral22095, Lelephante, santanaann4524, heathermh, vnienhuis, Ivise, Munyue, Babycutiepie, RozeXhunter, pandamiko, Bass Blitz, Lady slytherin 92, swsirilak, and D Tailed for favoriteing and/or following this fic.**

 **Now on with the show!**

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either series...But if I did...Oh the possibilities. Anyway, no suing please.

Chapter Eight: Hope for Something More

"Hey," Daryl said as he shook Kagome's shoulder as she slept on the floor of the RV. The priestess rubbed her eyes and looked at the hunter wondering what was wrong. "I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl. You comin?" he asked, figuring that Kagome would want to go and keep her promise to her brother.

The priestess nodded yes and grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows. She looked over and saw Carol in the bed area of the RV. Carol had obviously been crying throughout the night, making it impossible for the hunter to sleep. 'Poor Carol,' Kagome thought as she and Daryl walked out the RV door and told Dale about their plans.

"Wait," Andrea came out the RV, having heard the whole thing, "I'm coming too," she told the both of them.

Together, all three of them went into the woods with flashlights in their hands. If Sophia could see the lights, she would run to them. They would have yelled out her name but they didn't want to ring any late dinner bells for Walkers.

"You really think we'll find Sophia?" Andrea asked the two arrow users as they continued to walk through the woods.

Daryl rolled his eyes at the blond woman, "You got that look on your face. The same as everybody else. 'Cept for Chibi over here," he pointed to Kagome.

Kagome gave him a mild glare, "Do you even know what Chibi means?" The hunter shook his head no, he only heard the term once before and had no idea what it meant. "I figured. No to the nickname. And of course we're going to find Sophia," she told Andrea.

Daryl shrugged before looking back at Andrea, "The hell's wrong with you people. We just started lookin'."

"Well do you?" Andrea asked Daryl again.

"It ain't the mountain in Tibet. Its Georgia," the hunter replied, "She could be held up in a farm house somewhere. Kids get lost, they survive. Happens all the time."

"She's only twelve," Andrea pointed out skeptically.

Daryl shook his head, "Hell I was younger than her when I got lost," he admitted, making both women look at him in surprise. It wasn't often that Daryl opened up with something from his past. "Nine days in the woods, eating berries and wiping my ass with poison oak."

Kagome winced, "Ouch."

"They found you?" Andrea asked curiously, referring to his family.

Daryl shook his head no, "Old Man was on some vender with a waitress. Merle was doing another sentence in juvie. Didn't know I was gone...I made my way back though. Went straight to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. A little worse for wear, except my ass itch something awful."

Kagome and Andrea couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry," Kagome said while snickering at Daryl, "That must have been really painful."

Andrea couldn't contain her laughter, "That's a horrible story."

Daryl glared, "Better than the one Kagome told about that one girl getting lost."

"Oh yeah," Andrea said recalling the story, "The one who found a wounded demon in the woods. What was that girls name again?"

Kagome nodded, "Rin," she answered, "And the demon's name was Sesshōmaru. Rin visited him every day, bringing him healing herbs and food. Sesshōmaru would snap at the girl and tell her to go away, but she would still come back. Eventually, Sesshōmaru began to care about Rin and decided to protect her since she was an orphan."

"I remember," Andrea said in recollection, "Amy liked that one."

"The kids did too," Kagome replied, "Except I told them the sugar coated version of the story."

Daryl and Andrea looked at her confused, "Sugar coated?" Daryl repeated.

Kagome nodded, "In the real story, Rin was being beaten by some of the village men for stealing. Sesshōmaru cared enough to ask where her bruises had come from, which made Rin really happy. It was the first time, since her family died, that someone cared about her well-being. The next day, the village was attacked by wolves. Rin managed to run into the woods trying to find Sesshōmaru, but ended up getting caught by a few of the wolves and was killed. Eventually, Sesshōmaru found Rin's body and used a mystical sword he possessed that could bring her back to life. After that, he cared for Rin like his own daughter."

Andrea shuddered at the thought of that, "I can see why you left that out. Too much of the dead walking around as it is."

In a weird way, Daryl liked the real version better, "Sophia has someone looking for her too...I call that an advantage."

Both women couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the hunter. Kagome had wished she'd known Daryl back then, "I would have looked for you when you were lost." Daryl and Andrea looked at the priestess in surprise. Kagome blushed, quickly realizing she had said those words out loud. "It-It's what friends do," she quickly added.

Daryl didn't comment and continued forward in their search. Andrea raised a brow at Kagome, who shrugged her shoulders before mouthing 'what.' The blond shook her head in amusement and continued to follow Daryl.

The trio kept walking around, trying to find any sign of Sophia.

Suddenly, the sound of leaves stirring startled the group. Daryl pointed his crossbow while Kagome pulled out an arrow from her quiver. Both of them were ready to fire at a moment's notice.

They quietly wandered towards the source of the noise and gasped at what they saw.

A Walker hanging by a noose from a tall tree branch. It dangled on the tree limb, desperately trying to get to the three living beings close to him so he could feed.

"What the hell?" Daryl muttered at the sight.

Andrea gawked at the dangling Walker.

Kagome frowned in pity at the undead creature dangling from a tree. This used to be a human being who thought it wasn't strong enough to take on this new world. And yet, he still became the thing her feared most. 'The poor guy,' she thought in empathy.

Daryl saw a written message nailed into the tree the Walker dangled from, "Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit," he read aloud before snorting, "Dumbass didn't think to shoot himself in the head. Now he's just a big swingin' piece of bait. What a mess."

Andrea began to gag and leaned her body forward.

"You okay?" Kagome asked in concern.

"Trying not to puke," the blond woman replied as she kneeled forward.

"Go ahead if you gotta," Daryl suggested.

Andrea shook her head, "Can we just talk about something else?" she begged, "Where did you both learn to shoot your weapons?"

"I picked it up myself," Kagome answered, "But my best friend helped made me an expert."

"And I had to eat," Daryl answered, "It's the one thing these Walkers and I have in common. This is the probably the closest he's been to food since he turned." The hunter pointed his flashlight on the Walker's legs. It had been torn up and nibbled and till the only thing left was bone. "Look at him, hanging like a big piñata. The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs."

Andrea barfed up the contents of her stomach. Luckily for her, there wasn't much of it.

"Daryl," Kagome scolded the hunter as she rubbed Andrea's back soothingly with her free hand.

"I thought we were changing the subject," Andrea complained when she felt better.

He snorted, "Call it pay back for laughin' at my itchy ass," he mildly teased before he gestured his head back to the direction of the highway, "Let's head back."

Andrea looked from the Walker to Daryl. "You're not gonna," she didn't finish, but he knew what she meant.

Was he going to kill the Walker?

"He ain't hurting nobody," Daryl reasoned, "Let him hang."

Kagome had another opinion on the matter. "Fine, I'll do it," she said taking her arrow and aiming it at the Walker's head. She released her arrow, hitting the Walker right in the eye. The easiest access to the brain. The Walker was instantly killed.

"Waste of an arrow," Daryl scolded.

"I got plenty to spare. At least this way his body is...sort of at rest," Kagome retorted back to him. The priestess had made sure to retrieve her arrows after she used them, leaving her with at least a dozen.

The hunter shook his head in disagreement and began the journey back. Andrea and Kagome were following directly behind him.

"Can I ask you something?" Andrea suddenly said to Kagome as they walked. The priestess nodded yes in reply. "At the CDC, you told Jenner that you thought about ending your life before all this," she gestured to the world around them. "You really wanted to die because a guy?" Andrea asked her astoundingly.

Kagome nodded again, "I wanted to...Thankfully I came to my senses."

"You must have really loved him," Andrea stated, not really sure what else to say.

"I did," Kagome admitted, "But the worst part of it, besides watching him die, was that I didn't get a chance to tell him that."

The blond woman was silent for a few moments, "I think he knew...He did give his life for you."

"He was an idiot," Kagome said, stunning both Andrea and Daryl who was listening as he walked in front of them. "He was so stubborn and always did things on his own, never asking for help. He went into a fight hot headed and died as a result...He was furious because one of our best friends, the one who taught me how to use a bow, she was killed first. He wanted revenge and he got it at the cost of his life...I was so angry at him for leaving me...And sad because I missed him like crazy."

The blond woman gave a look of sympathy, "Maybe you'll find someone again."

The priestess shrugged, "Maybe...What about you, Andrea?" she asked causing the blond to raise a brow, "After everything we learned at the CDC, do you still want to die?"

Andrea looked at Kagome before she gave an unsure shrug, "I don't know if I want to live...Or if I have to...Maybe it's just a habit."

Kagome shook her head at the vague answer.

Daryl kept walking as the woman talked behind him, absorbing everything that the priestess had confessed. He didn't know much about the guy that Kagome had loved, but he felt a little envious of him. It was obvious that the priestess still loved the man, even though he was dead. But he could hear the longing in Kagome's voice of wanting to move on. Daryl didn't know why but he felt a little relieved by this knowledge.

Eventually, the three of them made it back to the highway, dreading to face Carol when she saw that they once again didn't find Sophia.

Kagome sat with Carol when they went back into the RV until, allowing the worried mother to cry on her shoulder.

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Early in the morning, the group on the highway painted a message for Sophia on one of the cars, telling her to stay there and that they'll come to the highway every day. They also left a few provisions, knowing Sophia would be starving when she got back.

Once that was taken care of, Kagome told them the directions to the farm.

Daryl drove up the road in front of the RV as they made their way to Hershel's farm.

They were surprised to find the members of their group outside the house.

'What are they doing?' Kagome wondered as Dale stopped the RV.

The group was finally reunited, and they were so relieved that Carl was going to make a full recovery. T-Dog's wound was properly treated and was slowly starting to get better. However Otis had died trying to get the supplies they needed to save the young Grimes.

Souta, who had heard the cars from inside the house, ran outside to greet and hug his sister.

Kagome hugged him back fiercely, before she noticed the bandage on his arm. "You gave blood," she stated.

The young Higurashi nodded, "Hershel said he only took half a unit," he explained, "I just wanted to help since Rick gave blood twice."

The priestess nodded in understanding, "Well you know what that means right?" Souta raised a brow. "You and Souta are blood brothers now," she pointed out to him.

Souta's eyes widened in delight, since he hadn't thought about that. "I always did want a brother," he admitted.

Kagome pouted, "What are you trying to say? Am I not good enough for you?" she teasingly whined. Souta stuck out his tongue out her in reply, making her do the same to him before she ruffled the hair on his head affectionately.

After the group helped Hershel's family and friends create a memorial for Otis, they held a small funeral service. Hershel spoke a passage from the bible and praised Otis's good name.

"Shane," Hershel turned to the former deputy when he finished, "Would you speak for Otis."

Shane shook his head uncomfortably, "Nah, man. I'm no good at it."

"You were the last one with him," Otis's wife Patricia said, weeping mildly. "Will you share his last moments with us. Please...I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning."

Kagome looked at Shane, curious by his hesitant behavior. Not to mention the new buzz cut he'd made to his hair. 'I wonder what brought that on,' she wondered.

Shane hesitated before he spoke again, "We were about done...Almost out of ammo, were about to pistols by then. I was limping, it was bad. Leg all swollen up...'We gotta save the boy.' You see that's what he said."

The more the former deputy spoke, the more wary Kagome felt towards him. Shane talked as if he were telling a story, not the truth about what actually happened. The priestess studied and had enough life experience to know the difference.

That's when Kagome made the decision to feel Shane's soul.

The priestess almost gasped at what she sensed. Just below the surface of his former good soul, there was a darkness emerging. It wasn't unusual for there to be darkness in someone soul, but somehow the darkness in Shane's soul seemed to have doubled overnight. Kagome was frightened by this discovery, since a soul becoming dark so fast only happened if a human committed a terrible act. 'What did he do?' Kagome thought nervously.

"He gave me his backpack, he shoved me ahead," Shane continued, "'Run' he said. 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover you.' And when I looked back..." he didn't finish. It was obvious that the Walkers had gotten to Otis by that point. Shane went over and placed a rock on the memorial. "If not for Otis, I wouldn't have made it out alive. And that goes for Carl too. So Otis he...He saved us both...His death had meaning," he told to Patricia.

As Kagome looked at Shane cautiously, Daryl scowled at the former deputy knowing that he had just lied to everyone.

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"How long has the girl been lost?" Hershel asked the group after the funeral. Rick, Shane, Daryl, Andrea and Kagome were planning to help in the search.

"This will be day three," Rick informed him.

Maggie came over to the truck with a map in hand, "The county survey map," she said while pressing the map out for them.

"Finally, we can get this thing organized," Rick said gratefully, "Grid the area and start searching in teams."

"Not you," Hershel scolded the former sheriff. "You gave almost three units of blood. And the other boy shouldn't be going either," he told the last part to Kagome. "They won't be able to hike five minutes in this heat. And that ankle of yours," he gestured to Shane, "Push it now and you'll be out for a month. That won't be good for anybody."

Daryl nodded, "Looks like it's just you and me then," he told Kagome. "We'll head back to the creek and work from there," he pointed on the map.

"Alright," she nodded agreement and studied the map thoroughly.

"I'll drive up to the interstate and see if Sophia wandered back," Shane stated, wanting to still be useful.

"Alright then," Rick nodded in approval, "Let's do this right."

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives," Shane informed his friend, "We got to gun train them, like we promised."

Rick began to nod in agreement while Hershel shook his head, "I'd prefer you not carry guns on my property. We managed so far without making this into an armed camp."

"With all due respect," Shane replied, "We can't risk those the geeks wandering in here."

"We're guests here," Rick interrupted, "This is your property and we will respect that." He gestured for everyone to give up their guns, which they reluctantly did so. "First things first, make camp and find Sophia."

Shane sighed as he gave up his gun and brought up an important matter. "I hate to be the one to bring this up...But what happens if she's bit?"

Everyone turned to Rick for instruction, "We do what needs to be done," he answered.

Kagome gulped at the thought of a Walker version of Sophia wandering the woods. She shook her head at the image, 'No, we're going to find her. And she'll be okay,' she told herself.

Maggie looked taken aback, "And her mother, what do you tell her?"

"The truth," Andrea said simply.

The group disbanded getting ready to do their jobs.

Kagome saw Souta waiting for her on the porch.

"Souta," she cautioned, "You're not going."

"I want to go," her brother interrupted, "I need to find Sophia."

Kagome nodded in understanding, "I know. But you can't look today. Not after giving blood like that. Besides, your brother needs you too," she said pointing to Carl's room. "Kami knows Carl will go crazy in that room."

Souta stared at her for a few moments before he reluctantly nodded, "Okay." He did feel a little off, and doubted he would be of much help in searching for Sophia. 'We'll find her...we have to.'

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"Hey Daryl," Rick called out to the hunter, "You sure you'll both be alright out there?"

"I'm better on my own," Daryl admitted, "But China Doll can take care of herself. We'll be back before dark."

Rick nodded, "Hey...We got a base. We can get this search properly organized now."

Daryl looked at him in confusion, "You got a point or are you just chatting?" he asked in irritation. 'He's wasting good search time.'

"My point is that it lets you off the hook," Rick informed him, "You don't owe us anything."

Daryl's eyes unintentionally wandered to the porch, where Kagome was talking to her brother. "My other plans fell through," he replied to Rick. "Come on lets go," Daryl called over to Kagome.

"Just a second," she called back to him before she turned back to Souta. **"Listen carefully, Souta. I want you to avoid being alone with Shane,"** she said in Japanese not wanting to be overheard. **"Something happened that made his soul become dark last night. Whatever it was, it was very sinister. So be cautious, alright?"** Souta nodded in understanding. **"Good. I love you little brother,"** she said kissing his forehead before walking over to Daryl. "Let's go," she told the hunter who followed behind her.

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Daryl rode Merle's motorcycle trying to get close to the creek as they could with Kagome sitting behind him. Her arms were wrapped loosely around his midsection. Kagome knew that Daryl wasn't a person that liked to be touched and didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

After a while, Daryl stopped and parked the bike on the side of the road. "Far as we can go," he told her.

Kagome slid off the bike first, allowing Daryl to get off. "Did Merle teach you to ride a motorcycle?" she asked him curiously. Daryl raised a brow at the question but still nodded. "How come you don't have one of your own?"

"Couldn't afford it," he answered as they went into the woods, about a hundred yards away from the creek.

"Oh," she replied, accepting the answer.

Daryl looked at her curiously, "Why you askin'?"

Kagome shrugged, "Just trying to make conversation," she replied, "It's what people do sometimes to avoid silence."

"We're suppose' to be lookin' for a little girl," Daryl reminded, getting a little annoyed.

"I was just talking to you," she replied a little harshly, "You don't have to be snippy about it."

Daryl sent her a small glare but it didn't hold a lot of malice behind it.

They were both silent after that. Focusing on their task of trying to find Sophia.

"Look," Kagome suddenly said pointing in between the trees and saw a farmhouse.

Daryl walked closer to the place, "Think she's in there?"

Kagome did a quick sweep of the place with her priestess powers and found no living soul inside. 'But that doesn't mean she wasn't there earlier. Maybe we'll find something,' she reasoned. "Maybe," she answered Daryl's question.

Both of them slowly approached the farmhouse, not wanting to alert any Walkers if they were hiding inside. Daryl went up the steps of the house first, crossbow out and ready. Kagome pulled out her knife, figuring her bow and arrow wouldn't be useful inside.

The hunter gestured for Kagome to look upstairs while he searched the bottom floor. The priestess quietly went up the steps searching the rooms for Walkers and clues. There were three bedrooms upstairs. All of them unoccupied. The only thing Kagome noticed was that one of the beds had the pillow and covers missing.

After searching, Kagome made her way back downstairs, "Anything?" she mouthed when she spotted Daryl. The hunter gestured for him to follow her to a pantry door. On the floor was a pillow and blanket. "These were from one of the rooms upstairs," Kagome told him.

"Sophia," Daryl said, knowing that she was the most likely person.

"Poor thing. She must be scared out of her mind," Kagome voiced before looking to the hunter, "You think she's close by?"

Instead of answering, Daryl went back outside and screamed Sophia's name.

Kagome went outside and sighed in disappointment, 'I can't sense her anywhere.'

"She's hidin' somewhere else now," Daryl voiced his thoughts, "Not a good idea to stay in one place."

"I suppose she is," Kagome agreed, "Sophia was a quiet little girl, but she was definitely smart...I just hope she's safe wherever she is."

Daryl was a little surprised by her agreeing with him. Anyone else in the group would have said something skeptical or agreed just to keep someone's hopes alive. But he could tell Kagome genuinely believed that Sophia was somewhere safe. Daryl scanned the area again until something caught his eye, 'Is that?' he wondered before walking towards it.

Kagome followed Daryl and watched as he kneeled down to a dead bush that still had two living flowers on them. "What are those?" she asked, having never seen the white flowers before.

"You don't know?" Daryl asked a little astonished.

How could someone know about healing plants and different types of stories, but not know the meaning behind 'this' flower?

"It's a Cherokee Rose," he told her picking it from the bush and showing it to her. "The story is that when American soldiers were moving the Indians off their land, down the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee mothers were grievin' and crying so much, cause they were losing their little ones along the way. From exposure. Disease. Starvation...A lot of them just disappeared." Kagome frowned after hearing that. "So the elders, they said a prayer. Asked for a sign to lift up the mothers spirits. Give them strength...Hope. The next day this rose grew. Right where the mothers tears fell."

Kagome looked from the flower, to Daryl, then back at the flower and smiled. 'Then this is a sign that Sophia's okay...It'll give Carol hope,' she thought in high spirits. The priestess looked over to the bush, "There's two of them," she pointed out, "Hope for Sophia and hope for Merle."

Daryl shook his head with doubt, "Don't think so...I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin' for my brother."

She looked back at him, "Why not? Who else could the other flower be for?" Kagome asked him. Daryl couldn't come up with an answer. Kagome smiled wider, knowing she'd won their disagreement.

Daryl snorted, "Whatever you say, Priestess."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Okay, that's not a nickname, it's just stating what I am," she playfully scolded. "I might as well be calling you Redneck, Tenshi."

"Will you just tell me what that damn word means," he demanded, getting a little fed up about the foreign word.

Instead of answer, she shook her head, "Nuh-uh, you know the deal."

Daryl muttered something incoherent as he turned around and walked away obviously annoyed, making Kagome giggle. They made their way back to the motorcycle, wanting to tell the group what they found. Also, Daryl really wanted to show the Cherokee Rose to Carol.

She needed a sign of hope.

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The next morning, Kagome woke up early to help Carol with some laundry. Lori had gotten on to Andrea for not doing her share of the chores and the priestess didn't want to face her wrath as well. Besides, Kagome liked feeling useful in every task that was needed in camp.

"Did you tell Daryl to give me the flower?" Carol asked the priestess as they carried the basket of damp cloths to the clothesline.

"Nope," Kagome answered honestly as she put down her basket, "That was all him. I didn't even know what kind it was until he told me."

Carol smiled at the hunter's consideration, "That was sweet of him...The beer bottle vase was a nice touch."

Kagome smiled at the cute gesture, "I knew he was a big softie underneath that tough guy exterior."

"What made you think so?" Carol asked curiously.

Kagome paused before she hung up the cloths, "Well, Daryl kind of reminds me of someone I used to know. He was rude and had a temper, but he never hesitated to help someone in trouble...He was a good man."

Carol looked at the priestess in sympathy. It was obvious that the man she was talking about was the man she had loved. "Daryl's a good man," Carol told her.

"No denying that," Kagome replied automatically as she went back to work.

Carol couldn't help but smile at how fast the priestess had responded. She was starting to get the feeling that Kagome may have grown feelings for the hunter, but hasn't realized it yet. 'I think they'd be good for each other,' she thought, 'They both deserve it.' With that in mind, Carol wanted to voice her graduated toward the priestess. "Kagome, I want to thank you for helping to look for Sophia...It's one of the kindest things that's happened to me in a long time," her voice cracked at the end.

The priestess walked over to the woman and hugged her, "We're going to find her. And then this will be nothing but a distant memory."

A few minutes later, Lori made her way to the two women as they continued their chore. "Sorry I slept in," she told them apologetically.

"You must have needed it," Carol replied, "You alright?"

"Next time wake me," Lori responded, instead of answering Carol's question, "Especially on laundry day."

Kagome didn't know why, but lately Lori had been very moody. At first she thought it had to do with Carl's condition, but she was starting to think it might be something else. 'I hope she's okay,' she thought with worry.

"We can manage," Carol responded, "While you're here, I wanted run an idea by you. That big kitchen of theirs got me thinking, I wouldn't mind cooking in a kitchen again. Maybe, if we all pitch in, we can cook for Hershel and his family tonight?" Lori and Kagome looked at Carol curiously. "I'm trying to find things to occupy my mind," she admitted

Lori shrugged as she continued to hang the cloths, "After everything they've done for us, it seems the least we can do."

Carol nodded, "Would you mind extending the invitation?" she asked Lori, "You're Rick's wife. That kind of makes you our unofficial First Lady."

It looked like Lori wanted to say something but quickly shut her mouth.

"Morning guys," Rick told the camp, "Let's get going, we got a lot of ground to cover."

Kagome hung up the cloths she had, "I'll see you both later. And let me know if you need help making dinner tonight," she said before she walked over to the search group. Souta was there too, wanting to know what was going on.

"Everyone's getting new search grids today," Rick informed everyone, "She made it as far as the farm house Daryl and Kagome found, so she's gone further east than we've been before."

"I want to help," said the young man that lived with Hershel named Jimmy, "I know the area pretty well and stuff."

Rick looked at the young man in appreciation, "And Hershel's okay with this?" Jimmy nodded yes, but didn't make eye contact with Rick.

A clear indication that he was lying.

Kagome would have said something but thought that they could use all the help they could get. That's why she was taking Souta out with her today since he was up for it now.

"Nothing Daryl and Kagome found screams Sophia to me," Shane said suddenly, catching everyone's attention. "Anyone could have been held up in that farm house."

"Anyone includes her right?" Andrea argued with him.

Daryl nodded, "Anyone who slept in that covert couldn't have bigger than yah high," he gestured to Sophia's height.

"Sophia would have slept somewhere safe during the night. She knows better," Kagome commented.

"And you know this how?" Shane asked skeptically.

Kagome glared at the man, "Because, unlike you, I actually spent time with her and knows how she thinks."

Shane snorted before he looked down at his shoes. Souta stuck his tongue out at him since the officer wasn't looking. The action made Daryl smirk in amusement.

"Maybe we'll pick up on Sophia's trail again," Rick said, wanting to change the subject.

"Maybe," Daryl replied, "I'm gonna borrow a horse and head up to this ridge right here," the hunter pointed on the map. "Get a bird's eye view of the whole grid."

T-Dog snickered, "Good idea. Maybe you'll see your Chupacabra," he teased, which made him receive a glare from Daryl.

"Chupacabra?" Rick repeated confused.

"What you haven't heard this?" Dale asked while he gave out the bag of guns. "First night at camp, Daryl tells us that this whole thing reminds of the time he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra."

Jimmy started chuckling at the story.

"What are you laughing at, jackass?" Daryl snarled the young man. Souta did his best to hide a snicker, making Kagome nudge him with her elbow.

"You believe in a blood sucking dog?" Jimmy asked in disbelief.

"You believe in dead people walking around?" Daryl challenged.

Instead of answering, in fear of what the hunter would do, Jimmy started to grab a rifle from the gun bag.

"Whoa," Rick stopped him, "You ever fire one before?" he asked Jimmy firmly.

"If we're going out I want one," Jimmy replied.

Daryl snorted, "Yeah, and people in hell want slurpies."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the comment, and listened to where Rick wanted her to go with Souta.

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Daryl saddled the horse he was going to use with a scowl on his face.

He didn't know why T-Dog had to mention his Chupacabra story. Daryl knew what he saw that day and anyone who said otherwise could go fuck themselves.

"Daryl," Kagome called out, walking into the barn. She was carrying a bottle of water and a small bag of black berries. "I thought you could use these," she said handing to him. "You need to keep your strength up if you're going to be out there all day."

The hunter took the bag and put it on the satchel that was on the saddle, "Thanks."

"So," she said walking over to the stall and petting the horses head, "You really saw a Chupacabra?" Kagome was asking out of curiosity, 'If demons are real, why not a blood sucking dog that eats goats.'

Instead Daryl thought she was making fun of him, "I know what I saw," he snapped at her.

Kagome was taken aback by his tone, even the horse seemed a little on edge. "I didn't say you didn't. I just wanted to know because I haven't heard that story before," she scolded back as she picked up some hay to feed to the horse in order to calm it down. "You don't have to be a jerk about it."

With that, Daryl scowling retreated and he muttered an apology.

The priestess sighed and petted the horse's mane, trying to let her annoyance subside. "Just be careful out there today," she said, since Daryl was going to be by himself today.

Daryl nodded as he finished saddling the horse, "Who you goin' with?"

"Just Souta," she answered, "I figured I could teach him more ways to use his knife while we're out there."

"You gonna let him go to gun trainin?" he asked her.

Kagome shrugged in uncertainty, "I don't know."

Daryl looked over to her, "Camps got guns around. He'll need to learn."

"It's not the guns that concerns me," Kagome admitted truthfully, "Its Shane teaching the lesson...I don't trust him." She knew she could admit her concerns to Daryl, since she found him the most honorable of the group.

Daryl looked at the priestess a little impressed about being wary of Shane. He didn't buy the officer's bull shit story about Otis sacrificing himself like that. "I could teach you to shoot," he said without really thinking it through. "Your brother too," he quickly added.

Kagome looked at him surprised, "Really?"

"If ya want," Daryl said, not really minding.

"Yes," she answered instantly, "I'd love that...Does this mean I can learn to shoot your crossbow too?" she asked excitingly.

Daryl snorted, "We'll see, Huntress."

Kagome smiled, "That's the best one I've heard...But no," she added, disappointing him in his efforts.

"High standard bitch," Daryl muttered under his breath as he mounted the horse.

"And that's the worst," she said in response, not taking offense. Kagome could tell by his tone that he was just messing with her. "Be safe out there, Tenshi."

Daryl sent her a mild glare but eventually smirked when she left the stable.

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Kagome and Souta looked around there assigned sector of the woods for a good while. During that time, Kagome taught her brother how to throw a knife from a distance and where to aim for easy access to the brain.

Souta actually got a little excited when she told him about Daryl offering to gun train them.

"What do you think of Daryl?" Kagome asked him on their way back to the farm.

"I like him," Souta admitted, "He's the only one, besides you, who knows we'll find Sophia...And he did save my life at the Quarry."

Kagome nodded in remembrance. She really did owe a lot to this group, but she owed Daryl most of all.

"What do you think of Daryl?" Souta mocked his sister, emphasizing the word 'you'.

The priestess rolled her eyes, "I like Daryl too. He's a nice person."

"Do you looove him?" he teased his sister.

Kagome blushed, "Shut up!" she screeched at him.

"You didn't deny it," he pointed out mischievously.

"I don't love Daryl," she stated, although it didn't sound very convincing.

"You said the same thing about Inuyasha," Souta reminded her. Mentioning the hanyou's name caused Kagome to frown. "Inuyasha would want you to move on, Kagome...And I haven't seen anyone make you smile like that in...forever."

Kagome smiled at her brother, "Since when do you care so much about my love life?"

"You tease me about Sophia, and it's only fair I tease you about your crush," he answered smugly, "It's my Kami given right as a little brother."

The priestess ruffled her brother's hair affectionately, "You're my favorite little brother. You know that?"

"Since I'm your only brother that's not really saying much," Souta joked, "But you're my favorite big sister."

Kagome smiled and put her arm around her brother's shoulder.

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"Kagome, you're a girl right?" Glenn suddenly asked the priestess when she stepped into the RV an hour after she returned to the farm. The young Korean was sitting at the eating table, contemplating on his current situation with Maggie.

The priestess raised a brow, "Uh-huh," she answered skeptically at the stupid question, uncertain where Glenn was going with this conversation. All Kagome had been doing was looking for a quiet place to write since Souta was visiting Carl, and Carol and Lori said they could handle the dinner on their own.

"Sorry," Glenn muttered realizing how the question sounded. "I just, I need some advice. And I need a girl's perspective."

"Okay," Kagome replied as she sat across from him at the RV's eating table.

Glenn fidgeted nervously, "Well there's this girl."

"Maggie," the priestess stated.

Glenn looked up in surprise, "How'd ya know?"

"It was either her, Andrea, or me," she answered, "I doubt it's Andrea, and Kami knows it's not me." Kagome saw Glenn as a very good friend, almost like a brother, and she knew he felt the same way about seeing her as a sister. "So, what's up with you and Maggie?" she encouraged.

"Uhh," Glenn wasn't sure how to voice it, "Well, like I said you're a girl. Could you tell me what a girl is thinking after she...ya know...Has sex with a guy?"

Kagome's eyes widened at the question. "Glenn, please tell me you did not have sex with the daughter of the man who can kick us off his land, regardless of Carl's condition," she said practically begging.

Once Kagome phrased it that way, Glenn turned his gaze down and refused to answer.

"Glenn!" she screeched while smacked the Korean on his arm.

"I didn't plan on it," Glenn replied in defense, "We were at the pharmacy making a run and it just sort of happened. And I almost had a run in with a Walker at the well so I figured, why not."

"What Walker at the well?" Kagome asked in surprise, feeling like she missed out on a whole lot in such a short amount of time.

Glenn smacked his forehead. He forgot Kagome didn't know about the Walker in the well since she was out with Daryl. So he gave her a brief overview on how the group lowered him into the well so they could pull out the Walker.

"Good Kami," Kagome said in disbelief, wanting to smack some of the group members silly. "Do you have a brain in that head of yours?! You could have been killed!"

"It made sense at the time," Glenn defended, "And I'm alive aren't I...So could you help me with the Maggie thing? She's been acting weird around me."

Kagome ran her hands from her face to her hair, "Honestly Glenn, every girl is different and I don't know Maggie all that well, so I don't know what to tell you." Glenn looked down in disappointment making Kagome frown before giving him a look of sympathy. "But I think she'd be crazy not to give you a chance."

Glenn looked back up with a hopeful smile,"Really?"

"Yeah," she replied, "You're a sweet guy. You just really need to think before you speak," Kagome added half joking.

Glenn snorted, recalling the brief conversation he had with Maggie early today. "Yeah, I'm working on that."

"Working on what?" Dale asked when he walked into the RV.

Kagome got up from her seat and patted on Dale's shoulder, "I leave him with you. All the luck in the world, Dale," she teased before walking out of the RV.

She walked into the tent that her and Souta shared and began to write. Kagome liked writing to help get out of her head for a few minutes. Since there wasn't a lot of books available to the group, this was the next best thing. A moment to clear her thoughts and forget about the outside world, for just a little while.

"Walker," Andrea suddenly called out to the camp, "Walker!"

Kagome rushed out of the tent and walked over to the RV where Andrea was keeping watch. The blond pointed to a slow walking form coming out of the woods.

"Just the one?" Rick asked the blond woman.

Andrea pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better look. She couldn't see clearly because of the sun glaring on the lenses, 'But it's defiantly one Walker,' Andrea thought if fear. "I bet I could nail it from here," she told Rick, getting the rifle.

"No," Rick halted her, "Hershel said he wants to deal with the Walkers."

"What for, man? We got it covered," Shane said walking with a pick axe in hand. T-Dog had a bat and Glenn had one of the arsenal blades. "You best let us handle this," he told Andrea.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she pulled out her hunting knife, "Don't shoot," she urged Andrea before she followed the men. She didn't know what was irritating her more, Shane's man handling regarding the group or Andrea's trigger happy finger.

The men and Kagome dashed down the field and caught up to the figure limping out of the woods. Rick immediately pointed his gun at the figure's head before the group stopped and froze at what they saw.

Kagome gasped when she got a good look at the figure's face, "Oh my Kami...Daryl."

The hunter continued to limp out of the woods, dragging his crossbow behind him. The shirt he'd been wearing was torn and binded around his waist. Daryl looked like something wild savage man being covered with dirt and blood.

He truly did look like a Walker.

"Daryl?" Rick questioned the hunter.

It took a moment for Daryl to respond. "That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head," he snapped at Rick, "You gonna pull the trigger or what?"

Kagome sighed, a little relived that Daryl was still acting like himself. Her eyes lingered to the bind on the hunter's waist. She stepped forward towards him, "Daryl what happened?"

The sound of a gunshot suddenly hit the group's ears.

And two body's hit the ground with the thud.

 **Aaaaand cut at the cliff hanger. Who hates me right now? *all readers hands raise up* Yah, ain't I a stinker? But believe me when I say, I do have a purpose for this. So what do you think? Next time: People are wounded, questions are asked, and secrets are revealed.**

 **Till Then My Reader**


	9. Confide

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Due to hectic scheduling I decided to post this chapter a day early.**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **Shiori Mayonaka no Yume: Well that's too bad, because I love all of you. *insert group hug here***

 **Nutcase (Guest): Ah yes. The things we love to hate.**

 **KuroKat013: I know. But it's the only way so I don't catch up to the current season too fast. I'd rather know what I'm walking into in the story...No pun intended.**

 **DogDemoness108: *insert magic snapping fingers that make time move forward* There. All better now.**

 **Tubafox: Aren't I though? *insert creepy laugh from the host of 'Tales From the Crypt' here***

 **Guest(1): Yes she shot them. And you'll find the answer to both questions in this chapter.**

 **D Tailed: Aww thank you. And I plan to.**

 **KamilahKaliope: No problem. And your wait is finally over.**

 **Sesshiesfangirl: Ah yes, a cruel and yet, a necessary evil I'm afraid.**

 **Saricaykes: 0.0 *insert CPR here* Breath darn you!**

 **MOONWOLF1234: I'm glad you liked it.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: That was the idea. I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Guest(2): I will.**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: Sorry...But I can tell you that the wait is over.**

 **Yourworldismine: Because I must.**

 **Davan33: Well, like I said, I love all of you.**

 **Applejax XD: The answer...a few.**

 **KioshiUshima: She wouldn't be our Andrea if she didn't.**

 **MyworldMyImagination: I hope you're right. And I'm glad you enjoyed those moments.**

 **MysticWolf71891: Well your wait is over.**

 **lifelovelaugh: I know, right.**

 **Rakaan: To respond for your review of chapter five, keep in mind that Souta is still a child and is dealing with things in his own way. Also, Souta is the only one who knows of his sister's powers. So to him, she does have the power to stop bad things from happening when in reality Kagome has limits just like everyone else in the group. Her priestess powers don't make her invincible or make the killing stop. Luckily, Souta does eventually understand this.**

 **Wishuwerheer (Guest): Your request will be granted. Don't forget this is a story about Kagome AND Souta being in the Walking Dead. Souta will have his own encounters with others in the group. Trust me, you'll see it in this chapter.**

 **MidnightReader1: Well how else was I supposed to make you come back to read chapter 9? LOL**

 **LovelessPromise: Okkkkkkkkay. Here you go.**

 **Spastic Freak: Because it must. Lol**

 **Elfy Lolita: Thank you so much for your kind words.**

 **Thank you all for these nice, (or enraged) reviews. I'd also like to thank: Itachisgirl88, Kikyohater220, tigeraangel, Crystal2913, Raycen, AkemiMami, devilgurl4, JavBK, Silverfox-925, cloudsomniakitty, .Angel, AnitaLupin89, Ambrosaa87,** **Rakaan, Yami Yusuke, KrispyCrunchDelight99, MidnightReader1, , mywolfmoon, emeraldmoon14,** **Velasco, kanae1865, x0Whispering Winds0x, LovelessPromise, ZombiePurpleFox, KawaiSara89, Brewing Glory, Ram-Z Malfoy, morbidking06, shion Karuki,** **Altair snape black, SeaGoddessOfStarlight, Klloyd2014, D Tailed, KuroKat013,** **RavenclawQueen02, Aria868, HarleyQuinn312, Serenity Rayne, LawietKitty, Lost in Reality's Mirror, SilfarionOrchestra, , Blazetj, and Elfy Lolita for your awesome support.**

 **Now On With the Show!**

Disclaimer: *Insert reluctant sigh followed by pouty face* I don't own Walking Dead or Inuyasha...Because apparently I'm not that brilliant...Oh yea, and now suing please.

Chapter Nine: Confide

"NO!" Kagome heard Rick scream as she fell to the ground feeling a sharp and pulsing pain scorching through her shoulder. As her vision began to blur, the priestess glanced over and saw that Daryl had fallen to the ground as well. For a brief moment Kagome was filled with worry as she tried to call out the hunter's name. But instead, she passed out from both shock and pain.

"Oh shit," Glenn muttered as he ran to Kagome in alarm, praying she wasn't dead. The priestess had been shot at the top of her right shoulder. The bullet going clean through her flesh before it nicked Daryl on the side of the head, since he was scrunched over. Blood had begun pouring out of the wound and soaking through her cloths.

"I was kiddin'," Daryl managed to mumble before he also passed out from the pain.

Shane helped Rick pick up a passed out Daryl, while Glenn lifted Kagome up bridal style in his arms. All of them quickly tried to make their way back to the house so Hershel could take a look at their wounded friends.

"Oh my God!" Andrea yelled frantically as she ran towards the men with Dale beside her. Her eyes were teary and her mind filled with hysterics, seeing two group members wounded because of her. "Oh my God! Are they dead!?"

"They're unconscious," Rick said in mild relief as he dragged Daryl's body with Shane's help.

Glenn looked over, trying his best to carry a dead weight Kagome. "What the hell happened to him?" he gestured to Daryl, "He's wearing ears."

They looked at the Walker ears dangling from Daryl's neck.

Rick quickly snatched the undead ears off the hunter and stuffed them in his shirt, "Let's keep that to ourselves."

"Guys," T-Dog suddenly said picking up something from the ground. "Isn't this Sophia's?" he asked while holding up a doll.

"KAGOME!" Souta screamed as he ran up to meet up with the group, grabbing their full attention. He went extremely pale when he saw his sister in Glenn's arms, her shoulder bleeding extensively.

"She's just unconscious, son," Dale tried to assure the boy, as the group carried Kagome and Daryl up to the house.

Souta looked over to Andrea, knowing that she was the one who yelled about a Walker and the only one stupid enough to shoot at it. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" he snapped at her.

"I'm so sorry," Andrea tried to apologize and explain her actions.

"You shot my sister and you're sorry!?" Souta continued to scream, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER YOU STUPID BITCH!"

"Souta!" Lori reprimanded the boy.

Instead of reacting to the woman's scolding, Souta went inside the house to check on his sister.

Andrea had never felt so guilty in her life.

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Hershel looked at the wound on Kagome's shoulder and informed Patricia that the bullet grazed deeply into her flesh, but she should have no problem stitching the woman up since there was no signs of any nerve damage.

Patricia sighed as she looked at the poor girl in front of her. From what she knew, Kagome seemed like such a nice young woman. 'She doesn't deserve to be hurt in bed like this,' she thought to herself as she used a bit of maneuvering to get the over shirt off of Kagome's unconscious form.

Kagome's tank top was stained with blood. Because of the material, Patricia knew that the fabric was ruined. Patricia sighed while grabbed a pair of scissors to cut the girls top open, making a mental note to tell her brother to bring Kagome another shirt. She cut the top with almost no trouble at all.

As soon as the top was ripped off Kagome's form, leaving in her in nothing but her bra, Patricia's eyes widened.

"Oh sweet Jesus," she muttered as she looked at the multiple horrid scars on Kagome's body. "He-Hershel," Patricia called over to her host, "Hershel!"

The old man rushed over to the room, thinking there was a medical emergency. "What's going on?"

"Look," she pointed to Kagome's body.

Hershel's eyes widened as step forward and began examining the marks, "What in the world?"

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After Hershel was called out of Daryl's room by Patricia, Rick and Shane were worried that there was something seriously wrong with Kagome. Luckily, Hershel came into the room a few minutes later and assured them that she was fine, although she hadn't regained consciousness yet.

The men sighed in relief before they went to tell the group that the priestess and the hunter were going to be okay.

Souta stayed outside of his sister's door until Patricia announced that she was done tending to Kagome's wound. The woman assured the young Higurashi that Kagome was fine but that she needed a lot of rest to recover from the shock. Souta nodded in understanding and went outside to visit Carl, who was now out of bed, to keep himself occupied.

"I'm glad your sister's going to be okay," Carl told his friend as they walked around the farm grounds. Both of them enjoying the peace, knowing what was lurking beyond Hershel's land.

Souta nodded, "Me too."

"Too bad my dad doesn't have another hat," Carl gestured to the sheriff's hat he was wearing, "She could have been a part of the 'We got shot and lived' club."

Souta rolled his eyes, "That hat is ridiculous."

"Jealous," Carl accused nudging his friends shoulder.

"You're lucky you're still hurt," Souta said, sending Carl a friendly warning glare.

Carl snickered in reply.

The boys were quit for a few minutes before one of them spoke again.

"I hope I get better soon," Carl admitted, "I want to help find Sophia."

"Yeah," Souta agreed, "But we have to wait for Daryl and Kagome to get better too."

Carl looked to Souta in confusion, "Why? We don't really need them. We got my dad and Shane."

Souta's eyes darkened at the former deputy's name, "My sister says she doesn't trust Shane."

"Why?" Carl asked sounding very offended. Shane was a cool guy and a good friend in the young Grimes eyes.

"Look, Kagome has this way of reading people. And she says that Shane might be trouble," Souta explained to him.

"You're wrong," Carl argued harshly.

Souta rolled his eyes, "Sheesh, forget it then...Just don't be surprised if Shane does something stupid."

Carl glared at his friend one more time before walking away to find his mom.

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An hour later, Daryl had regained consciousness while Hershel re-bandaged his wound. The hunter used this time to tell Rick and Shane where he found Sophia's doll.

"I found it washed in a creek bed right there," Daryl said pointing to it on the map. "She must have dropped it crossing it somewhere."

Rick nodded at the good piece of evidence they've had in days. "That cuts the grid almost in half," he said to Shane, who was sitting at the other end of the room.

"Yah, you're welcome," Daryl muttered as he hissed from the needle being pierced into his skin.

"How's he lookin'?" Rick asked Hershel.

The old man sighed, "I had no idea we'd be going through antibiotics this quickly," he stated before he looked over to Daryl. "Do you have any idea what happened to my horse?"

"You mean the one that almost killed me?" Daryl snarled, "If it's smart, it left the country."

"We call that one Nelly," said Hershel as he wiped his hands in a bowl of water after he was done tending to Daryl, "As in 'Nervous Nelly.' I could have told you she'd throw you, if you bothered to ask. It's a wonder how you people survived this long."

"Next time we will," Rick glared at Daryl.

Hershel shook his head at the anticipation of a next time. Unfortunately, he had other matters to think about from what he and Patricia had found. "Now about Kagome," Hershel started to say, grabbing the men's attention.

"What about her?" Daryl interrupted. He knew the priestess had been shot, but he thought the doctor said she'd be okay.

Rick looked at Hershel in concern, "Is something wrong?"

"She hasn't regained consciousness. But nothing I've seen indicates that she has nerve damage or dealing with anything life threatening," Hershel explained, "But that's not my main concern...How well do you know this woman?"

Shane shrugged, "A few months since she came into the group with her brother...Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Are you three aware of the scars all over Kagome's body?" Hershel asked the men.

The way Daryl avoided the old man's gaze showed that he knew about them, while Rick and Shane were at a loss.

"No I did not," Rick answered truthfully. "Did you?" he asked Daryl, also seeing the hunter's reaction.

"Yah," Daryl answered, "What of it?" he asked the old man.

Hershel sighed at having to explain what he'd found. "The scars on her body are extensive. She has them all over her back, her arms, her legs, and a few on her front. There's even some burn marks on her legs and feet."

Shane rubbed the back of his head, "She always wore jeans and over shirts with long sleeves. We didn't think much of it."

Hershel nodded, "I'm only mentioning this because I'm concerned about the origins of Kagome's past injuries...A few of them looked like blade wounds, claw marks, and something I can only describe as acid burns"

The men looked at one another baffled.

"She," Rick tried to think of a reason, "Kagome said she spent time in the woods. She might have been attacked by an animal, like a wolf or."

Hershel shook his head, interrupting Rick, "I'm a veterinarian. I've seen and studied all types of animal scratches and bites. Believe me when I say, I've never seen anything like the marks I've seen on her."

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After a long argument with Shane about both the search for Sophia and the situation with Kagome.

Rick was at a loss at what to do. He had asked Daryl if Kagome had told him anything about her scars and the hunter assured him that he didn't. In fact, he was just as baffled as Rick.

Blade cuts?

Claw marks that weren't made by an animal Hershel recognized?

Acid burns?

What in the world happened?

There was only one real person Rick could ask about Kagome but he hated having to ask him.

"Souta," Rick called over as he helped set the table for the dinner the women were planning to give to Hershel's family.

The young Higurashi looked at the former sheriff hesitantly, "Is Kagome alright?"

"Yeah," Rick assured, "But I need to ask you some questions?"

Souta raised brow in confusion but walked over to Rick, "Okay."

Rick pulled the boy aside and kneeled down to the ground to meet Souta at eye level. "Hershel told me about Kagome's scars...Do you know anything about that?" Souta instantly turned his gaze down to look at his feet. "Souta? Did someone hurt your sister?" The young Higurashi didn't move or utter a word. "You both aren't in trouble," he assured the boy, "You're not going to get kicked out of the group if you tell me."

Slowly, Souta raised up his head, "I can't," he answered quietly.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anything else, Rick simply nodded. "Alright...Go ahead and wash up for dinner," he told the boy. Souta looked at Rick gratefully and dashed out of the hallway.

It looked like all the answers Rick needed, were going to have to come from Kagome herself.

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Daryl sighed from his place in the bed.

It felt so odd being in an actual bed after being in a tent for so long. Especially for him, since he had always felt more comfortable on a space on the floor then a mattress.

But Daryl had other things to worry about.

'Someone hurt her...a lot?' he stated in his mind which made him very angry.

The sound of the door opening suddenly startled him. Daryl drew the sheets up so that his back would be covered.

Carol entered Daryl's room with a tray full of food, "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

Daryl turned away from her, "Bout as good as I look."

Carol pleased the tray on a nearby side table. "Brought you some dinner. You must be starving...Kagome will be too when she wakes up." She saw Daryl twitch at the mention of the priestess. Hesitantly, Carol leaned over and kissed Daryl on his forehead. "She'll be fine," Carol assured him, "And you should know...You did more for my little girl today then her daddy did in her whole life."

Daryl shuffled on the bed, getting more uncomfortable by the minute. "Didn't do nothin' Rick or Shane wouldn't do."

"I know," Carol admitted, "But your every bit as good as them, every bit. I know it. And Kagome knows it too."

As Carol walked out the door, Souta squeezed right passed her. She smiled at the little boy before she shut the door. Carol didn't notice the item that Souta had hidden in his folded arms.

"You look like crap," Souta told Daryl in honesty.

Daryl glared at the youngest Higurashi, "Don't let these bandages fool you, Kid. Can still shoot you in the eye if I wanted to."

Souta chuckled, knowing that Daryl was joking. Suddenly, Souta became very serious, "Did Hershel tell you? About my sister and her scars?"

The hunter shifted his body to look at the little boy, "Yah." He didn't want to admit that he'd seen the scars because he saw Kagome naked. There are some things that a little boy didn't need to know about his older sister.

"I-I can't say anything about it. I promised her I wouldn't," Souta admitted, "But I have a feeling that if Kagome's going tell anyone about her past, it be you."

Daryl raised a bandaged brow, "Why you say that?"

Souta rolled his eyes at Daryl's obliviousness, "Boy you're dense...Look, what I'm about to give you is very special of Kagome's. It holds all her secrets," he handed a notebook over to the hunter.

Daryl hesitantly reached over and grabbed the note book. "What's this? Her diary or somethin'?" he asked, wondering if he should even read something so personal.

"No," Souta said shaking his head. "It's Kagome's past...Any questions you have about her, you'll probably find them in there," he promised before he walked out of the room, hoping that he did the right thing.

At first, all Daryl could do was stare at the notebook. Debating whether or not he should open it and read its contents.

His curiosity eventually won the battle, and the hunter began to read the notebook.

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 _Kagome shot her last arrow at a stray demon that Naraku had unleashed. "Oh no," she said as another blood thirsty demon was dashing towards her._

 _Suddenly Sango's weapon, the Hiraikotsu, came and sliced the demon in half._

" _Thanks Sango," Kagome said gratefully to her best friend, who ran up to her._

 _Sango caught her weapon in midair and stood back to back with Kagome, "No problem, sis," she replied while giving Kagome her sword, wanting her to have some protection._

 _Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kilala were a few yards away, taking care of some other demons that were following Naraku's orders._

 _They've been fighting for a while, but Kagome still had hope that they could finish this fight._

 _Unfortunately, Naraku felt the same way._

 _As the girls were preoccupied trying to fight off the demons, Naraku's tentacle come out of nowhere in some nearby trees, piercing Sango right through her chest._

 _Kagome turned her head in horror as she saw Sango lifted from the ground by Naraku's tentacle. A pool of blood was already beginning to form under the slayer's levitated body._

" _NO!" Kagome screamed in dismay as she watched her best friend struggling to breathe._

" _ **Kagome,"**_ _the priestess heard a distant voice call for her. But the dismay happening before her made her ignore it._

 _Naraku chuckled manically as he pierced more of his tentacle into Sango's body. Kagome looked at the scene, completely mortified as the life in Sango's eyes faded to nothing._

" _ **Kagome, snap out of it!"**_ _a voice called again, louder this time._

 _Kagome whimpered as she fell to her knees, never taking her eyes off of Sango._

 _Naraku used his strength to rip the slayer limb from limb._

 _Sango was dead._

 _Torn to pieces._

 _Not even Tensiaga could bring her back from being so torn apart._

 _Not caring that her best friends killer was only a feet away from smiling manically, Kagome cried out into tears. "Sango," she wept._

" _That's right, Kagome," said Naraku tauntingly, "The slayer is dead. And it's. All. Your. Fault."_

 _Kagome shook her head in denial, "No," she said as the slayer's blood began to soak into the earth and was now staining Kagome knees, "SANGO!"_

"Kagome!" Souta shouted to his sister, shaking her body.

The priestess awoke from her nightmare with a start.

She quickly rose from her place on the bed and winced in pain from the wound on her shoulder.

"What on Earth is going on here?" Hershel yelled from the bedroom door. Kagome could see Patricia, Maggie, Jimmy and Beth were standing warily behind them.

All of them were wearing pajamas.

After noticing how hoarse her voice felt, Kagome realized that she'd been screaming because of her nightmare. She blushed in embarrassment and looked at Hershel's family apologetically. "I am so sorry," Kagome immediately expressed in regret. "I didn't mean to disturb everyone."

Hershel nodded, accepting the apology, "At least you're finally conscious."

Before Kagome could ask what he meant, she suddenly remembered what had happened. "Where's Daryl? I saw him fall too. Is he?"

"He's fine," Souta interrupted her, "Hershel fixed him up. He's sleeping in the other room."

"Not anymore," the hunter said from the doorway.

Hershel shook his head in disapproval, "You should be resting."

"I heard her screamin'," Daryl retorted to the veterinarian.

The women in the doorway smiled at the hunter. They could tell that Daryl was worried about her, and they thought it was sweet that he wanted to check on her.

The priestess looked down at her lap, feeling her cheeks flush slightly.

Hershel shook his head again before checked Kagome's wound to make sure that she didn't break any of her stitches from when she moved to rapidly. "Fortunately your stitches didn't tear," he assured her, "We don't need to replace them"

Kagome gave a small nod, "It would have been okay. It's not my first stitches."

"I can see that," the old man gestured to the scar on Kagome's right arm. "I'm guessing your past injuries have something to do with the nightmare you just had."

Kagome responded by avoiding the old man's gaze.

Realizing that the priestess wasn't going to talk about it, Hershel told Kagome and Daryl to take it easy tomorrow. The old man bid the two Higurashis and the hunter a good night, before he instructed everyone in his group to go back to bed.

Daryl looked at Kagome with concern. She could tell that the hunter wanted her to answer some questions. "You should head to bed too," Kagome told Souta.

"But what about you?" her little brother asked obviously worried. Souta knew she was screaming because of her memories of the Feudal Era. He hated that she had to deal with these memories all by herself.

"I'll be okay," Kagome told him. Souta still looked skeptical, "I'm fine, I promise. Go and sleep."

For a moment the young Higurashi wanted to protest, but he could tell that Kagome wanted to talk to Daryl alone. Reluctantly, Souta left to go to his and his sister's tent. 'He better not make her cry,' Souta thought as he walked at the door.

Leaving Daryl and Kagome alone.

"Are you okay?" the priestess asked Daryl, concerned about his injury.

The hunter walked to the bed to sit down, wincing slightly as he did so. "M'fine," he assured before explaining how he got his injuries. Kagome's eyes widened, shocked that Daryl was even able to stand. "Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon," Daryl told her, "Least that's what Merle always said."

"That's easy to believe," Kagome said impressed. "Andrea was the one who shot the gun, wasn't she?" He gave a look of mild irritation before nodding yes. The priestess rolled her eyes, 'What part of "don't shoot" did that woman not understand?'

Daryl would have commented but his side was starting to hurt, due to his sitting position.

Luckily Kagome noticed this, "Come on. You need to lay down," she encouraged, scooting over in the full size bed to make room for him. The hunter hesitated a moment before he took the priestess offer. They both laid on their sides, avoiding their wounds, as they faced each other.

In any other situation, the position they both were in wouldn't be so innocent. But that was the farthest thing from their minds. All the hunter and priestess cared about was the others wellbeing.

"I'm glad you made it back," Kagome told him in relief.

"Yah," was Daryl's only reply. He would have gone into more detail but he could see the tiredness in Kagome's eyes and knew she needed rest. But before she slept he need to ask, "Whose Sango?" The priestess' eyes widened as she gasped, obviously surprised that he knew the name. "You were screaming her name...She your friend that died?" he asked, but the hunter had a feeling that he knew the answer already.

It took a few moments for Kagome to nod yes. "I was dreaming of the moment she was killed...It's been years...But I still remember it like it was yesterday."

"She in the notebook you write in?" the hunter asked curiously since he hadn't gotten that far into the story yet. Kagome's breath hitched, stunned that Daryl knew about that. "Your brother gave it to me. Said you wouldn't mind if I read it."

Kagome began cursing her brother in her native tongue. She wished that Souta hadn't made such a rash decision. However, the thought of revealing her past to Daryl, wasn't as terrifying as she assumed it would be. Kagome gave out an exasperated sigh as she came to a decision, "I suppose not...If it's you...Let's just see how much about it you believe."

Daryl raised a brow, unsure of how to take that remark. Did that mean that she trusted him with her secrets? Before he could respond, the priestess reached over the bed to cover both of them with a blanket. "I'll explain tomorrow...After you've read...everything...We should both sleep," she told him before adjusting herself to tuck her arms under the pillow. In the past, sharing a bed with a man would have embarrassed her to no end. But now, and being as exhausted as she was, Kagome didn't really care.

Daryl must have felt the same way since he didn't argue with her. Instead, he laid on his back and put his head on his own pillow. 'He must be really tired,' Kagome suspected, before she reached over and squeezed the hunter's hand, "Good night, Tenshi," she said softly before closing her eyes.

It took a few moments for Daryl to reply, "'G'night." Kagome was already asleep when the hunter squeezed her hand back.

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Early the next morning, when Daryl woke up, he was alone. Kagome had already began to do her morning chores with the other woman. Before he could question why she would leave when she promised him answer, he found her notebook placed on the pillow she used last night.

Taking that as permission, Daryl grabbed the notebook and read from where he left off, all the way to where the priestess stopped before the final fight in her story.

He couldn't believe what Kagome had written down.

At first Daryl thought she was just writing a story, since she said she was a writer.

However, the hunter quickly realized that Kagome's characteristics and personality started to match matched the girl in the story.

More importantly, so were their talents.

The archery skills

Having knowledge on herbal remedies.

And the scars...The wounds Kagome described were identical to the marks on her own body.

During the night, Daryl was in complete denial about the whole thing.

Time traveling.

A magic jewel that could grant any wish or give you enormous power.

Fighting demons.

It sounded like a pile of horse shit.

At least that's what Daryl thought last night until he heard Kagome's screams.

She was crying for Sango.

The name of the demon slayer that the girl befriend in Kagome's notebook.

The pain and sadness in Kagome's screams were too real to be made up.

Could the priestess story really be true?

And if it was...what would that mean?

A few hours later, Daryl managed to make his way back to his tent. Hershel said it was unwise, but the hunter wanted a quiet place to think. Once he was conferrable, he began to mess with one of his bolts, poking holes in his tent as he lounged on his cot, obviously deep in thought.

The hunter had a dilemma.

After finding out about Kagome's past, what was he going to do about it?

"Hey," Andrea said from outside the opening of the tent. She went inside looking incredibly guilty. "This isn't that great but," she began to say while handing Daryl a book called The Case of the Missing Man.

Daryl accepted the book and skimmed through the pages, "What, no pictures?" he asked half joking. He briefly wondered how the blond woman would react if she knew he basically read a whole book already this morning.

Andrea gave a half smile at the joke, "I'm so sorry. I feel like shit," she apologized remorsefully about shooting at him.

"You and me both," he replied adjusting himself on the cot.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but if there's anything I can do," Andrea began to say.

Daryl shook his head, "You were trying to protect the group. We're good."

Andrea smiled in relief.

"Come on, let go," the hunter and blond woman heard Souta complain before Kagome dragged her little brother inside Daryl's tent by the back of his orange shirt. She was wearing a tight black shirt and borrowed a blue long sleeved flannel shirt from Maggie.

Kagome folded her arms and gestured to Andrea, "Don't you have something to say to her?" she demandingly asked her brother. Lori was kind enough to tell Kagome what exactly her little brother had said to the blond woman. As annoyed at the priestess was at Andrea, there was no reason to call the woman a terrible name.

Souta gave an overly dramatic sigh, "Andrea...I'm sorry I yelled at you. That was wrong," he said to the blond woman unwillingly.

"And," Kagome encouraged, sounding mildly threatening. Daryl and Andrea couldn't help but smirk at the sibling's bickering, having been through it themselves.

"And I know you were only trying to protect our group. Because we're all family now and we protect family," Souta recited, again unwillingly.

Kagome waited a few moments, "Aaand?" she invigorated, starting to get a little angry at her brother.

Souta sighed again, "Aaand, I'm sorry for calling you a stupid bitch," he said before turning to his sister giving him a 'are you happy now' look.

Andrea chuckled at the little boy, "That's okay Souta. I deserved it. And Kagome, I'm really sorry."

"Its fine," the priestess assured, having gotten over the matter last night. "But to show how sorry he is, Souta is going to be doing your chores today."

"WHAT?" Souta complained having never agreed to this.

"You heard me," Kagome told him in a 'that's final' tone.

Andrea tried to contain her laughter as she got up and began heading out of the tent, "Let's go Kid."

Souta kept muttering things under his breath like 'not fair' and 'still mad at her' as he followed the blond woman.

"Hey," Daryl called off after Andrea. "Shoot at me again, best pray I'm dead."

Andrea nodded in understanding before taking her leave with Souta in tow.

This left Kagome and Daryl alone in the tent.

Kagome hesitantly looked over at Daryl and took over Andrea's spot in the tent. "I uhh, fixed your shirt," she said showing the red over shirt he'd given her. She patched up the bullet hole and washed out the blood early this morning.

Daryl looked at her with his eyes narrowed before shaking his head, "Nah, you keep it."

Hesitantly, she pulled the red shirt back and placed it next to her. Kagome was very nervous about what Daryl was thinking now. Did he read everything in her notebook? Does he believe what happened? If he did, does it change of what he thinks of her?

"Well," Daryl spoke up bringing the priestess out of her thoughts, "Ain't you gonna put it on?"

Kagome was stunned by the request but nodded in compliance. Slowly she took off the blue flannel shirt, trying to go easy on her injury, giving Daryl a chance to fully inspect the visible scars on her arms. 'Now she's got another one,' he thought, seeing the bandage from the bullet wound.

Daryl halted Kagome's actions, before she could put on the red shirt, by reaching out and grabbing her wrist. He gently pulled her forward so she could get closer to him. Kagome was now sitting on the floor with her legs bent, just like she would home in Japan. The hunter looked into the priestess eyes, just to make sure he wasn't over stepping anything, before he reached over to trace a large scar on her right arm with two of his calloused fingers.

"Sango's brother, Kohaku, made that one," Kagome informed the hunter quietly, "Naraku brainwashed him and he used his sai on me." Daryl didn't comment, and traced his finger's up and halted when he found the five marks on her upper arms. "Inu," the priestess' voice cracked from the emotion of saying her former love's name, "Inuyasha made those when he was forced to turn full demon...I tried to get him to snap out of it, which he eventually did, thank Kami."

Daryl's hand lifted from her arm before he loosely grabbed the clear marble of the necklace around her neck.

The hollow remains of the Shikon no Tama.

"Went through all that for this," Daryl said a little unimpressed by the piece of jewelry, "Don't look like much."

"The Jewel's power is gone now," Kagome informed the hunter, as she watched him play with the Shikon Jewel with his fingers.

After a few more moments he looked back up at her, "How that happen anyway?" he asked her. "You didn't write that part...You stopped," Daryl pointed out. The priestess halted writing after Naraku invaded Kaede's village.

"An unselfish wish," she answered, "I made it during the final battle with Naraku...I wished for its power to disappear forever." Kagome tucked a piece of hair behind her ear feeling very vulnerable. "I can't write about it" she admitted, "I keep trying but...It hurts so much to think about that night...All I see is Sango being ripped apart and Inuyasha being stabbed through the chest by Naraku's disgusting demon hands...It's just too much."

Daryl nodded in understanding, "So, all those stories you've been tellin' us...They really happen'?"

It took a few moments for the priestess to nod.

Although Daryl was asking these questions, Kagome could still see the doubt in his eyes. Not that she could blame him. The story of a girl time traveling to the past to battle demons was hard for anyone to swallow.

Still, Kagome knew there was only way for Daryl to truly believe her.

She had to show him.

Hesitantly, Kagome slowly brought out her hand with her palm up. She looked up at Daryl to make sure that he was paying attention. The hunter stared at her with a raised brow, wondering what she was going to do. Taking a deep breath to gain courage, Kagome looked back down at her hand and allowed her priestess powers to emerge.

Suddenly, Kagome's hand began to glow a light purple color.

Daryl's eyes widened at the bright pure light.

There were a lot of things that Daryl had to face since the dead started walking among the living.

But this...He couldn't even think of the words to describe what he was seeing.

Kagome was creating a pure light out of nothing.

A light that she claimed to be her spiritual powers.

Daryl was dazed.

"Whoa," was all the hunter could say a full minute late, too mesmerized by Kagome demonstration.

"With this," the priestess finally spoke, "I can disintegrate a Walker's body with my sacred arrow if I wanted...But I can't since I'd be losing an arrow too." Kagome drew back her power back, diminishing the light, and looked back up at the hunter. Daryl's intense gaze was staring right back at her. "I've never been able to talk about my powers or my past with anyone besides my family," she admitted while pulling her hand back, "I couldn't trust them."

"But you trust me?" Daryl asked her. Souta had said that she did, but he needed to know for sure.

"Yes," she answered him.

The hunter couldn't help but ask her the same question he asked her brother, "Why?"

It took a few moments for Kagome to speak up, "Because...I," she tried to explain.

Daryl continued to look into her eyes as she stared back into his.

Slowly, the both of them began to lean forward towards each other.

Their lips barley an inches apart.

"Kagome," Rick suddenly called into Daryl's tent, making the priestess and the hunter quickly retreat from one another.

"Ye-yes?" she answered back to the former sheriff.

"We're leaving for gun training soon," he informed her. Rick informed her that she and her brother needed the lessons. Hershel said that she shouldn't handle a fire arm or her bow for a little while. 'But that doesn't mean she can't come and watch her brother,' he reasoned.

Kagome nodded before realizing he couldn't see her, "Okay," she replied to him. Her gaze went back to Daryl who looked just as embarrassed as she had been. The priestess stood up and quickly put on the red over shirt. "I'll, umm, I'll see you later, Tenshi," Kagome promised him.

Daryl huffed as she walked out the tent, "Later," he muttered to himself. He waited until she was gone before he cursed and felt his face become hot, "Damn it."

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"Are you comfortable with this?" Lori asked Kagome as they watched Carl and Souta trying to shoot their targets under Rick's instruction.

Shane was keeping an eye on everyone else practicing.

"With what?" Kagome asked her.

"Souta having a gun," the Grimes woman specified.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders, "Why not? It couldn't hurt for him to know how to use it, since they're at the camp."

Lori gave a half understanding nod. The priestess could tell that she was nervous of letting Carl learning how to shoot. Not that Kagome could blame her, since he had been shot recently.

With this in mind Kagome tried to comfort her, "Carl's still your sweet little boy, Lori."

"I know," she replied, "I just," Lori couldn't even finish.

"You're worried," Kagome finished before she gave small smile, thinking of a found memory. "My Mama always said that a mother's job was to worry," she admitted.

Lori gave a small laugh, "Yeah that is true. And we take our jobs very seriously...Carl said it wasn't cause I'm a house wife," she added.

Kagome gasped in amusement, "That little punk."

"I know," Lori replied, making both of them laugh.

It felt good to laugh. 'Lord knows I need it," Lori admitted to herself, thinking of the secret that was residing inside of her.

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The gun training went well.

Out of everyone today, Andrea was definitely the one that showed the most promise as a shooter. Shane stayed behind with her to give her advance lessons before they both went to look for Sophia in a nearby housing development.

'I hope they find her there,' the priestess prayed.

"Here ya go," Carol said handing Kagome a plate of food she just cooked on the outside fire pit, "Mind giving this to Daryl."

Souta snorted from his spot near the camp area, **"Yeah Kagome, mind giving it to Daryl?"** he mocked his sister in Japanese.

Kagome nodded accepting the food with one hand, and smacking the side of her brother's head with the other for his comment.

"Ow," Souta whined, making the adults snicker.

The priestess giggled at her brother's response as she made her way over to Daryl's tent. Kagome had expected him to be sleeping, but she was surprised to see him awake.

Awake and reading her notebook.

'I thought he finished it already,' she thought coming inside.

Daryl saw her and put the notebook aside, "Hey."

"Hey," Kagome greeted and showing him the plate of food, "Hope you're hungry."

The hunter nodded, looking at the plate ravenously. He accepted the food and began eating savagely with his fingers. "How'd it go?" Daryl asked with his mouth full, referring to the gun training.

"Souta did pretty well," she admitted as she sat across from him not really caring about his lack of manners while eating, "He wants me to teach him to use my bow next."

Daryl snorted, "Kid's gonna be a fully trained assassin at this rate."

Kagome sighed over dramatically, "Kami help us all...Still after watching everyone, I kind of wish I could have learned how to shoot too."

"Told ya I'd do it," Daryl reminded her.

"Yes, but that was before we both got hurt," she countered back to him.

He shook his head and gestured to his wounded side, "This's nothin'."

Kagome rolled her eyes, remembering all the times Inuyasha, Shippo and even Miroku would brush off any injuries they had in the past. "You're such a guy," she voiced out loud.

"And proud of it, Baby Girl," Daryl retorted, mocking what she said to him once at the CDC.

The priestess blinked at the nickname before she began to blush.

Daryl stopped eating and raised a brow by her reaction. It took a few moments before Daryl suddenly realized why she was blushing, "You like the nickname, don'tcha?"

"N-no," Kagome tried to deny it, but failed miserably. She didn't know why, out of all the nick names Daryl had called her, she started blushing at this one. 'Now he'll never let it up,' she inwardly groaned.

"Nu-uh," Daryl shook his head putting his plate down. He was not letting her get away from this. "You like the name, now I finally get my answer. Now, what'n the hell does 'Tenshi' mean?"

Kagome started blushing redder then before, if that was even possible. 'Why did I promise him that?' she groaned to herself, regretting their silly agreement. It took her a few moments to get her face back to its normal color.

"Well?" Daryl asked again, getting impatient.

Sighing in defeat, the priestess finally answered, "Angel...It means angel."

The hunter raised a brow in surprise. He figured the nick name would have been more joking or harsh. It's what Merle had done to him for most of his life. 'Never expected that,' he thought to himself.

Kagome looked down and started playing with her fingers nervously, "I uhh, I got the idea when I saw the wings on your vest. But I thought it suited you because of the way you've been watching over me and my brother. Well, the whole group really."

The hunter shook his head, "I ain't no angel."

"You are to me," Kagome confessed, finally having the courage to look back at him.

Daryl stared at her for a few moments before he half-heartedly rolled his eyes, "Whatever ya say, Baby Girl."

"Oh geez," Kagome mumbled in embarrassment by Daryl's new nickname for her. "Just eat your food," she said before she stormed out of the tent mortified, making Daryl chuckle in amusement.

He sort of liked how he could make the priestess blush.

The scarlet on her cheeks made her look...cute.

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"You alright, Kagome?" Lori asked while they were folding cloths next to her family's tent twenty minutes later. It was one of the only few chores that the priestess was allowed to do. Lori only asked because she didn't want the girl to overwork herself.

"I'm fine," Kagome replied from the spot sitting at, lying to her. She was still recovering from her earlier encounter with Daryl. Kagome had no idea that his actions affected her like that. It made her realize just how much she really liked him. 'No point in denying it to myself now,' she figured, 'But...Does Daryl like me at all?' He seemed to not really care much about her past, since he didn't act that much differently around her. 'That's a good sign, right?'

Lori shrugged at her reply, figuring that Kagome would talk when she was ready.

Suddenly, the sound of a gate closing startled the two women.

"Hey," Maggie snapped, mainly at Lori, "We got your stuff."

Glenn was running behind the farmer's daughter, as if to stop her, "Maggie hang on."

Kagome's eyes widened when she saw a spot of blood on Maggie's shirt. "Maggie, what happened?" she asked concerned.

Completely ignoring the question Maggie continued to glare at Lori, since she was the main source of their trouble back at the pharmacy.

"Umm," Lori said completely baffled. "Come on in here," she gestured to her tent.

"Why?" Maggie asked in irritation. "Nothing to hide. We got your special delivery right here," she stated while going through the bag and throwing the contents on the ground. "We got your lotion. Your conditioner. Your soap opera digest."

"Maggie," Lori begged for the young woman to calm down.

"Next time you want something, get it your damn self! We're not your errand boys! " Maggie yelled at Lori, before picking up one particular item off the ground. "And here's your abortion pills," she spat in disproval.

Kagome looked at Lori in surprise, 'Oh my Kami, Lori's pregnant.' She wondered for a brief moment why she would keep this a secret from everyone before remembering a brief conversation with Amy. The one about Lori being together with Shane. 'Is it...Could the baby be Shane's?'

Maggie stormed off in a rage. Glenn looked at Lori apologetically before going after Maggie.

Lori just stood there, holding the box of pills, completely mortified and stunned.

Kagome quickly got up, "Come on," she urged, gently grabbing Lori's shoulders and leading her into her family's tent.

"I-I didn't mean for," Lori wanted to explain as she sat down on the small chair inside.

The priestess kneeled down in front of her, "I know you didn't, Lori. It's okay."

Lori shook her head, finally breaking down. "No. It's not okay," she whimpered placing the pills down on the small table next to her. "I can't-I can't bring a baby in this world. It'd be too cruel," she admitted getting emotional.

Kagome shook her head, "Lori, having a baby is a blessing. Especially at a time like this."

"A baby would put the group in danger," Lori stated, tears falling down her face. "Whenever it cries, it be sounding an alarm for Walkers. And...And would he or she even live long in a world like this one? I worry every day for Carl and now this," she gestured to her belly, "What kind of mother would I be to bring a baby into this world?"

The priestess grabbed Lori's hands sympathetically. She had no idea that this secret expecting mother was going through so much worry. 'It really is a mother's job,' Kagome suddenly realized the extent of what her own mother had been telling her.

"Lori listen to me," Kagome steadied her, "Whatever you decide to do is completely up to you," she admitted to the women. "But know this...Our group is fighting every single day in order to survive. But there's no point in that if we refuse to allow ourselves to live with the little joys we're given." Kagome placed her hand on Lori's stomach and sensed the innocent soul inside of her. "Women have been having babies in times of war, disease, and disaster way before the dead started rising. And they all found a way to survive." Lori wiped the dears that were falling down her face, listening to the priestess. "And you know, this baby is going to be the luckiest person in this world...Most children grow up with only a mom and a dad. But your baby will grow up with a huge family who will fight to their last breath to protect him or her," she gestured to the people outside. "We're going to teach your baby how to beat this world and rebuild it into something incredible."

Lori gave a sad smile before Kagome leaned over to give her a comforting hug.

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The next morning, everyone gathered around to eat breakfast together.

Kagome couldn't help but glance at Lori who was sitting very close to Rick. Lori looked over and smiled at the priestess, giving her a secret message. 'She didn't go through with it...I'm glad,' Kagome thought to herself.

"What'cha smilin' about?" Daryl asked her from his spot.

"Nothing. I was just thinking," she replied happily.

Souta rolled his eyes at her, "You're so weird." Kagome sent her brother a playful glare, before stabbing her fork on Souta's plate and stealing a bite of his scrambled eggs. "Hey," Souta complained, trying to maneuver his way to his sister's plate, but she shielded it from his grasp.

Some of the adults chuckled before Glenn cleared his throat, "Umm guys."

All eyes turned to the nervous Korean.

"So...the barn's full of Walkers," Glenn hesitantly stated.

For a few brief moments time had stood still for the group, while they absorbed Glenn's words.

'The barn is filled with WHAT!?' Kagome screamed inside her mind.

 **Oh come on, they were so close to kissing. Darn it Rick. Anyway, Daryl was the first to learn of Kagome's past. I felt it was appropriate given that she opens up more to him than anyone else in the group. Will the others find out too? You'll have to wait and read. So, what do you think? Next Time: There will be fear. There will be anger. There will be tears. And Sophia will appear again. Dead or alive?...My lips are sealed on that.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	10. Fear, Anger, and Revelation

**Arrows and Scars**

 **A huge thank you to: Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, yourworldismine, masterbroly, KuroKat013, MOONWOLF1234, GreenHoneyTea, DogDemoness108, GiggleboxGirlie, Snickering Fox, babydoll92, D Tailed, Saricaykes, Wishuwerheer (Guest), Lialie (Guest), lifelovelaugh, Applejax XD, SugaryAnarchy, Guest for their awesome reviews. And a big thank you to Melrose437, babydoll92, bluekyubi1985, Arkansas Sweetheart, .921, Sinsational Sinner, Yufa-Takeero, Clarisse Mayumi, SalBB,** **Reilee's-A-Lil-Devil,** **yacira-96, SugaryAnarchy,** **GingerSnapz93,** **Fawkes930,** **BreakFree01,** **wolfsrainrules, PercyJacksonlover101,** **Skydragon06251989,** **secret00garden,** **Bloody illusion,** **izay4ever,** **axelialea,** **venushareddy62, Kazukimi, Desolatewoods,** **purediabolus,** **Deathstarling556,** **ambiguous person,** **MLGHambone,** **ibdemented, RaePotato, kage kitsune 14,** **darkheart-whitesoul,** **dark shadowed rose, kara reader, vampire and inuyasha lover 13,** **,** **PMH923953588, and PortgasDTatze for your support.**

 **I know there's probably been some nail biting and praying for this specific chapter, so let's go and get on with the show.**

Disclaimer: How many times can a person say they don't own Walking Dead or Inuyasha? (Apparently ten in this case...Along with however many chapters of this fic there are) Alrighty then, me no own nothing so please no sue.

Chapter Ten: Fear, Anger, and Revelation

Everyone in the Quarry group stood and looked at Hershel's barn cautiously.

They could hear familiar grunting and groaning coming from inside.

It was enough to make their hairs stand on end.

The barn was definitely full of Walkers.

Shane stepped forward to the barn to get a closer look. He nearly tripped on his own feet when a Walker got too close to the barn doors.

On instinct, Kagome grabbed her brother and pushed him behind her. She didn't miss it when Daryl took a step in front of her too.

"You cannot tell me you're alright with this," Shane turned and snapped at Rick.

"No I'm not," Rick assured him, "But we're guests here. This isn't our land."

Shane's patience was thinning, "Oh for God sakes, this is our lives!"

Glenn tried to shush the two yelling men, hearing the growling getting louder from inside the barn. "Lower your voice," he advised in a hushed tone.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug," Andrea stated to the group.

"It ain't right. Not remotely," Shane agreed, rubbing his face and buzzed cut head in frustration. "Okay, we've either got to go in there and make things right, or we just gotta go. We've been talking about Fort Benning for a long time."

"We can't go," Rick declared to his friend.

Kagome looked to Rick with sympathy. If Lori told him that she was pregnant, it's only naturally that he'd want someone around with some medical training.

"Why Rick?" Shane demanded to know, "Why?"

"Because my daughter is still out there," Carol voiced the answer.

Shane gave a long exasperated sigh, "Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility."

Kagome instantly glared at the man for even suggesting that Sophia wasn't alive, "You can't be serious."

"We're not leaving Sophia behind," Rick stated to his friend.

Daryl looked at the former police officer furiously, "I'm close to finding this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago."

"You found her doll, Daryl," Shane said, as if it wasn't that wasn't enough. "That's what you did. You found a doll."

The hunter glared at Shane furiously, "You don't know what the hell you're talkin' about."

"I'm just saying what needs to be said," Shane said with reasoning.

"And what do you think needs to be said?" Kagome asked, emphasizing the word 'you' to remind him that there are others that haven't given up on finding Sophia.

Shane glared at the priestess, "You get a good lead, it's in the first forty eight hours. After that, you're looking for a body."

" **Fuck you,"** Souta muttered to the man in Japanese. Normally Kagome would have scolded her little brother for saying that, but by Kami, Shane was pushing her too much the wrong way to care about her brother's language.

"Shane stop," Rick pleaded to his friend.

"And let me tell you something else, man," Shane continued to snap at Daryl, completely ignoring Rick. "If she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction."

Daryl wanted to punch all of Shane's teeth out for saying that to him.

Kagome watched as Shane and Daryl continued to shout at one another, while Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, Lori and Andrea tried to hold both of them back from physically hurting each other.

"Shane, back off!" Rick warned his friend when they finally got the men separated.

Daryl was pushed back by Andrea, until he was far away from the former deputy. Kagome went over to place a hand on his shoulder to halt him "He's not worth it," she prompted to him in a whisper. The hunter showed no sign of hearing her, but he did calm down a little.

"Just let me talk to Hershel," Rick told everyone, "Let me figure it out."

Shane looked at his friend in disbelief, "What are you gonna figure out?!"

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I'm gonna have to talk Hershel into it," Rick explained, "This is his land."

Dale sighed, "Hershel sees those thing in there as people," he admitted, "Sick people. His wife and stepson are in there."

Everyone turned to Dale, surprised that he knew this information.

"You knew?" Rick asked him.

Dale nodded, "Yesterday. I talked to Hershel."

"And you waited the night?!" Shane argued.

"I thought we could survive one more night," Dale reasoned, "And we did. I was waiting till this morning to say something, but Glenn wanted to be the one to do it."

Kagome looked over to Glenn, finally understanding his odd behavior. She had been wondering why he'd been acting so strange over the past day and a half. She assumed that it was about Lori's pregnancy, 'Boy was I way off.'

"The man is crazy, Rick," Shane informed his friend, "If Hershel thinks these thing are alive or no!"

The sound of Shane's yelling made the doors of the barn start moving by the Walker's attempt to be free.

Everyone took a step back in fear.

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Rick had instructed the group to stay as far away from the barn as possible. Although the order was a bit unnecessary, since any sane person wouldn't step close to the place.

Now, Kagome was sitting with Souta next to their tent. She was helping him sharpen his knives while she made sure her arrows were still good and sturdy. It was one of the few things she could do with her current injury.

"Shane's wrong," Souta spoke up suddenly, making her sister pause in her task, "Sophia's still alive."

The priestess smiled at her brother, "I know she is," Kagome said in agreement, "And no matter what happens, you and I aren't leaving until we find her."

Souta looked to his sister in appreciation.

"Kagome," Carol ran up to the priestess in a panic.

"What's wrong?" the priestess stood up, not knowing what had Carol so worried.

"It's Daryl. He's trying to go look for Sophia again," Carol informed her.

The priestess's eyes widened in fear. Daryl was still seriously hurt, and if he went back out now, who knows what could happen. "That idiot," she muttered under her breath, "You stay near the house," Kagome ordered her brother, before she and Carol went to find Daryl.

The two women ran into the stables where they heard the hunter grunting as he tried to get the saddle ready.

"You can't," Carol said to Daryl.

"I'm fine," the hunter retorted, as he continued to get the horse ready.

Kagome shook her head, "Daryl, your wounds aren't serious, but if you push yourself like this, they will be."

"You need to heal," Carol urged him.

"I don't care," Daryl muttered in determination.

"Well I do," Carol announced to him.

Kagome rolled her eyes as Daryl grabbed the reigns for the horse, "Please Daryl, you can't do this. Not right now."

"Rick's going out later to follow the trail," Carol informed him.

Daryl fastened the reigns on the horse, "Yeah well, I ain't gonna sit around and do nothin'."

"No, you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse," Carol argued, "We...We don't know if we're gonna find her, Daryl."

Both Daryl and Kagome looked at the woman in shock.

"We don't...I don't," Carol continued to voice her doubts about finding her daughter.

Daryl slowly made his way over to Carol, "What?" he demanded her to repeat herself.

Carol glanced over to Kagome for guidance, but the priestess was too stunned. Carol shook her head before turning back at the hunter, "I can't lose you too," she admitted to Daryl.

Kagome could see the fury in the hunter's eyes before he turned around and pushed the saddle from the stand to the ground in anger. This caused him to strain the wound on his side, making him yell out in pain.

Carol and Kagome went to aid him, but he instantly brushed them aside. "Just leave me be," he snapped at both of them. "Stupid bitch," he muttered, making a beeline towards the pond near the stables.

Kagome looked to Carol apologetically before she followed Daryl.

The hunter made his way into the woods, in the direction of the pond that was a part of Hershel's farm. The priestess was amazed at his fast pace and she struggled to keep up with him.

"Daryl wait," Kagome urged as she followed behind him.

"How the fuck can she say that?!" he yelled furiously, as he began pace around once they'd reached the edge of the pond. "That's her daughter! How the fuck can she say shit like that?!"

"I don't know," Kagome answered just as upset. All this time they had been searching for Sophia, finding little thing day by day to keep Carol's hope alive.

Now it feels like their efforts were in vain.

"Sophia's not dead," Daryl stated as a fact.

"I know," Kagome replied to him, just as confident.

"Don't care what the fuck they say. We're goin' to find that little girl," Daryl promised in his anger.

Kagome put a hand on Daryl's chest to halt his pacing, "I know. And we will...But not at the expense of you." The hunter's huffing began to lessen as Kagome tried to calm him down. "I know you're not going to give up and neither am I...We'll find Sophia and bring her back to her mother. No matter what it takes," she swore to him.

Daryl stared at the young woman in front of him in a daze. Kagome had told him exactly what he needed to hear, and he could tell that she meant every word.

Before another word could be spoken between them, Daryl grabbed the back of Kagome's head and smashed his lips against hers in a firm and gentle kiss.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at the contact, 'Wh-what?' Once the priestess's baffled mind was able to process that Daryl was kissing her, she closed her eyes and returned the kiss.

'Oh shit,' the hunter began to mentally panic about his spontaneous action. However, Daryl quickly realized just how satisfying it was to finally kiss the woman who had been plaguing his mind since their time in the Quarry.

And what was even more amazing, was that Kagome was kissing him back.

Feeling brave, Daryl wrapped his free arm around her waist to pull her closer to him, and gently forced Kagome's mouth to open with his tongue so he could brush it against her own.

Kagome felt a pleasant shiver up her spine as the hunter pulled her closer, and placed her hands gently against Daryl's strong chest. The hunter may have looked and acted rugged, but his kiss was very tender.

They stayed in that position, enjoying their kiss, until they both needed to pull back for air.

" **Wow,"** Kagome said in a whisper, unable to remember to speak English.

Daryl stared at her uncertainty, feeling a little embarrassed by what he'd done. "Is that good?" he asked, not knowing what she said.

Kagome merely nodded trying to settle her suddenly dry throat. She took a small step back from him, but didn't break their embrace.

Neither of them were able to look each other in the eye.

Neither of them knew what to say to the other.

Awkwardness surrounded them in their silence.

Now what do they do?

Kagome was the one to speak first, after she got her brain to function again. "You, umm, you should apologize to Carol...And I should go with Rick to help look for Sophia."

Daryl snapped out of his flustered trance, looked down at the priestess, and shook his head. "You can't use your bow with that wounded shoulder."

"Then I'll use a knife," Kagome weakly argued, finally able to look back at him. The awkwardness between them started fading gradually.

The hunter shook his head again, "If you go, I go," Daryl bargained with her.

Kagome scowled at him, with no real malice, "You don't fight fair, Tenshi."

"Never said I did, Baby Girl," Daryl retorted back. The priestess gave an innocent pout, as a hint of a scarlet appeared on her cheeks. The hunter smirked triumphantly, that he'd won the argument and managed to make Kagome blush.

Still too embarrassed to look him in the eyes, Kagome turned her gaze away again. That's when she spotted something on the other side of the pond's dock. "Daryl look," she pointed to what she'd found. The hunter followed her gaze and stared at her finding in wonder, "Are those what I think they are?"

Daryl nodded, "Yah...Cherokee Roses."

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When Kagome and Daryl returned, neither of them were brave enough to bring up the kiss, the hunter went to Carol to show her the bush of Cherokee Roses.

Kagome walked back to the house, where Patricia and Beth were entertaining Carl and Souta with a game of checkers, still in a daze.

She didn't know why Daryl had kissed her so suddenly.

But her heart was beating rapidly at the memory.

'Who would have thought that Daryl's kisses were...wow?' Kagome thought, unable come up with a better term, as she sat on the porch and watched the women and children play checkers. They could tell that Kagome was in her own little world so they left her alone to think. 'Does this mean Daryl likes me? Or was it just a spur of the moment thing?...No, Daryl wouldn't do that...Right?' she thought feeling confused.

A little while later, Glenn and Maggie arrived on the porch and on the steps, whispering to one another with big smirks on their faces.

"Hey guys," Kagome greeted them grateful for the distraction. Glenn sent her a warning gaze, begging her not to say anything about getting together with Maggie. Instead, Kagome chuckled at him, "What's with the hat?" she asked, since the hat clearly belonged to Dale.

Maggie snickered, "He looks like he should be in line for the early bird special."

Glenn took the hat off in embarrassment.

Maggie shook her head and took the hat from him, "Go get your cap and I'll wash it."

Glenn got up and started heading to his tent.

"Hey," T-Dog called out to Glenn and Kagome, as he walked up with Andrea. "Do y'all know what's going on?"

"Yeah, where is everybody?" Andrea gestured to their missing people.

Kagome looked at the blond woman confusingly, "I thought you and Rick were out looking for Sophia."

"He went off with Hershel," she replied, "We were supposed to leave an hour ago."

"Yeah you were. What the hell?" Daryl voiced as he walked up to them with Carol in tow.

Carol was just as surprised, "He told us y'all were going out."

Daryl cursed under his breath, "Damn it, isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail." He turned and saw Shane coming up to them, the bag of guns were in one of the officer's hands while he held a rifle in the other.

Kagome could see the determined look in Shane's eyes.

"Oh, here we go," Daryl said, "What's all this?"

Shane handed the rifle to Daryl, "You with me, man?"

Daryl nodded and accepted the rifle, "Yeah."

Souta looked to his sister with concern, but Kagome gestured for him to stay put.

"It's time to grow up," Shane announced before looking to Andrea, "You already got yours?"

Andrea nodded, "Yeah. Where's Dale?" she asked, noticing that he was nowhere to be found.

"He's on his way," Shane answered without really caring, as he handed a hand gun to T-Dog.

"I thought we couldn't carry," T-Dog stated.

Kagome shook her head while going down the porch steps, "We're not."

"We can if we have to," Shane replied glaring at her, "Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was safe. But now we know it ain't." He turned his gaze to Glenn, "How about you, man? You gonna protect yours?" he asked handing him a rifle.

Glenn hesitantly accepted the gun.

Shane looked to Kagome offering her a hand gun, "You with us?"

"I'm not with you," Kagome answered, folding her arms as she glared at him.

Shane shrugged off her comment. "How about you?" he asked Maggie, "Can you shoot?"

"Can you stop?" Maggie begged, "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight."

Carl came down the stairs with Souta, Beth and Patricia right behind him. "We have to stay, Shane," the young Grimes stated.

"What is this?" Lori asked, as she came out of the house. She had no idea why Shane was handing out guns.

Shane looked at everyone in assurance, "We ain't going to leave, okay? Hershel...He's just gotta understand, okay? Well, he's gonna have to." He suddenly kneeled down to Carl and Souta, "Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right? Now I want you both to take these," Shane ordered them as he offered them guns. "You keep your mother safe. And Souta you protect your sister. We do whatever it takes."

Souta shook his head and backed away from the man, not taking the gun. He was beginning to see why his sister said that there was something dark in the former police officer. Souta could practically see it streaming off of Shane.

Lori stepped in front of Carl to protect him from Shane's influence. "Rick said no guns," she sneered at him, "This is not your call. This is not your decision to make."

"Oh shit," T-Dog suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention to where he was looking.

Kagome's eyes widened, "What is Rick doing!?"

Rick was helping Hershel and Jimmy drag two Walker towards the direction of the barn with snare poles.

Shane got up from the ground and dashed toward Rick and Hershel. Almost everyone followed behind him.

Lori grabbed Carl's hand as Kagome grabbed her brothers', before they looked at each other with concern. They knew that whatever was going to happen was not going to be good.

"Stay close," Kagome ordered Souta, who obediently nodded as they made their way down to the barn.

The four them made it down to the other just in time to see Rick trying to take control of the wild Walker on the snare pole he was holding. "Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk," Rick begged him.

"What?!" Shane yelled, "What'cha want to talk about, Rick?! These things aren't sick! They aren't people! They're dead! Ain't gonna feel nothin' for'em! Cause' all they do, they kill! These things right here! These are the things that killed Amy! They killed Otis! They're gonna kill all of us!"

"Shane, shut up!" Rick urged.

Shane's patience finally snapped. "Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" he asked while pulling out his hand gun and pointing it at the female Walker that Hershel was holding onto.

Kagome pushed her brother to the side, not wanting him in the line of fire. **"Crazy bastard,"** she hissed at Shane in Japanese, as he shot the female Walker three times in the chest.

"WHY IS IT STILL COMING?" Shane yelled at Hershel, as he still held the moving Walker. Shane fired his gun again, "THAT'S IT'S HEART! IT'S LUNGS! WHY IS IT STILL COMING?"

"Shane, enough," Rick yelled.

"Yeah, you're right, man," Shane nodded in agreement as he aimed for the female Walker's head. "That is enough," he said before firing his gun, finally killing the Walker.

Hershel fell to his knees in despair, with reality slowly sinking in.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone!" Shane told the others, "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! Enough! Rick, it ain't like it was before!"

Rick looked to Shane sinisterly.

"Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it!" Shane continued, "I'm talkin' right here, RIGHT NOW!" Shane suddenly turned and ran to the barn doors. He started to destroy the locks that kept the Walker's inside.

"Shane stop!" Kagome yelled at the same time Rick begged Hershel to take the snare poll away from him.

Shane's irrational actions, were going to get someone killed.

The priestess looked to Daryl, who gestured for her to stay back for what was most likely thing to come next.

As soon as the lock was broken, Walkers began to swarm out of the barn. All of them limping and growling towards the living beings in front of them.

Shane began firing at the Walker's heads, taking them down one by one.

The sound of gun fire began stinging Kagome's ears as she kept her brother close, not wanting Souta anywhere near a Walker or the line of fire.

Andrea, T-Dog, Daryl, and Glenn stood with Shane, as they shot the remaining Walkers around them, including the one Rick had been holding.

Everyone lowered their weapons since they thought that was the last of the Walkers.

Suddenly, the sound of a small growl started coming from the barn doors.

Slowly, Walker exited the barn.

A girl.

A small, blond haired, little girl.

'Oh my Kami,' Kagome whimpered as she got teary eyed at the sight of the Walker, 'She...She looks like Sophia's age.'

The obvious comparison of this child Walker and Sophia was too much for the group to bare. All they could do was stare and think of the little girl that was lost out there somewhere.

The sound of Carol whimpering suddenly filled the silence. This child Walker reminded her so much of her daughter that was still missing. Any hope Carol had left was almost completely gone.

Gradually Rick walked up to the child Walker and reluctantly shot it in the head, putting it out of its misery.

Carol's sobbing grew louder as the child Walker hit the ground. She dashed passed everyone, including Dale who had just arrived, making a beeline to the RV.

Kagome would have gone after her, but she saw Beth suddenly rush towards the pile of dead Walkers. "Wait!" she followed Beth, trying to stop her. Souta had followed right behind his sister.

The young blond moved a body off of single female Walker and started crying.

"Mom," Beth whimpered as she gazed at her mother's form.

Suddenly, Beth's Walker mother grabbed the young blond by the hair, trying to pull her towards her mouth. Beth screamed in terror as she tried to get away and not get bit.

Shane, Rick and Glenn quickly grabbed a hold of Beth and pulled her away from the Walker's grip.

Before any of the adults could attempt to put down the Walker with their guns, a flying knife struck Beth's Walker mother in the head, killing it.

Everyone's gaze turned to Souta, who had just thrown his knife at the undead creature.

Kagome stared at her brother in astonishment.

Souta had just killed his first Walker.

It made the priestess both proud and terrified for him at the same time.

Beth's crying became harsher as she pushed out of Rick's grip and ran into her father's arms.

Hershel held Beth comfortingly, as he glared over to Rick. "Get him off my land," he sneered at Rick, while pointing to Shane.

Shane snorted, "Let me tell you something," he began to say getting closer to the old man.

Maggie stepped in front of him, "Don't touch him!" she hissed before slapping the former police officer, "Haven't you done enough?"

"I mean it. Off my land," he warned Rick, while he led Beth and the rest of his own group up to the house.

Kagome watched them as they passed by her and her brother. Her gaze suddenly went over to Shane furiously, before she walked over to stand in front of him.

"What?" Shane snapped in irritation.

Kagome answered his question by punching Shane square in the jaw with enough force to make him fall to the ground. "Don't you ever pull that mess in front of my brother again!" she warned him. "Anyone in this group could have been killed because of your damn stunt, **you stupid jackass**!" Kagome spat before she went to the dead Walker, retrieved her brother's knife, and walked back to gently grab her brother's shoulder to lead them back to their tent.

Everyone stared at Kagome in amazement after what she'd done to Shane.

"Damn," T-Dog commented in bewilderment.

Daryl was also surprised, but he was also proud of Kagome for putting Shane in his place.

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"You okay?" Kagome asked her brother as they left the barn.

Souta nodded before he looked up to his sister, "That Walker could have hurt someone...I had to stop it."

Kagome nodded at his answer, "I'm glad you practiced knife throwing."

"Me too," Souta admitted. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about killing a Walker, but Souta didn't feel guilty. He was, however, more wary of the man who forced him to commit the act. "You were right about Shane."

"Just keep your distance from him," Kagome cautioned, before looking over at the RV. "I'm going to go check on Carol. You go hang out in the tent for a bit." Souta nodded before heading in the direction of their tent. "And Souta," she called out to her brother making him stop and turn around, "I'm proud of you." Her little brother smiled before going back to their tent, while Kagome quietly made her way over to the RV and went inside.

Carol was crying at the RV's eating table. The priestess sat down next to her and wrapped her in a comforting hug.

"That Walker looked the same age as my baby," Carol whimpered in Kagome's arms, "That could have been my Sophia."

"But it wasn't," she assured, "That wasn't Sophia in that barn. She's still alive."

"How do you know she is?" Carol asked while pushing herself out of Kagome's grasp. "How can you possibly know that? We've been looking for her for days. What if...What if she really is dead?"

Kagome shook her head, "No, you can't think like that."

"Why not? Everyone else does," Carol pointed out.

"No. Shane does," Kagome corrected as her fist clenched, "And since when the hell do we listen to what he says anymore." Carol stopped crying, surprised that the priestess was acting so hostile. Kagome had never said a hateful word towards anyone, besides Ed. So seeing her be angry at Shane was much unexpected. "Wherever she is, you will get your daughter back," Kagome promised.

Carol wiped a few tears away before giving a small nod.

A sudden knock on the RV door made them turn, "Everthin' alright?" Daryl asked as he walked inside. Carol nodded, wiping old tears from her checks. "You missed Kagome nearly knockin' Shane's teeth out," he informed the woman, staring at Kagome with a prideful smile.

Carol looked at the priestess in shock.

Kagome rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "I didn't mean to hit him that hard."

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After everyone settled down from the debacle at the barn, the group buried Hershel's wife and stepson, and gave them proper resting place. The rest of the day was filled with people gathering the rest of the dead Walkers so they could burn them.

By late afternoon, everyone was exhausted.

Which was why Kagome was surprised to see Daryl packing up his tent.

"What are you doing?" she asked him curiously.

For a split moment she feared that Daryl was leaving the group, 'He wouldn't do that...Would he?'

Daryl grunted as he fastened the tent, "Can't be around these people. This group is breakin'."

Kagome couldn't help but agree with him.

Little by little their group was diminishing.

Rick and Lori were constantly bickering.

Glenn was worrying over Maggie.

Andrea was following Shane around like an obedient dog, and failed to see his wicked ways.

Carol was barely hanging onto the hope on finding Sophia.

And it was hard to tell what was going on in Dale and T-Dog's minds.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long until their group was broken completely.

But one thing was certain.

After seeing that Walker girl come out of the barn, the rest of the group was starting to seriously doubt if Sophia really was alive.

"Where will you go?" Kagome asked the hunter hesitantly.

Daryl gestured down the felid, "There's an old chimney in the field. Gonna set up down there."

Kagome nodded, grateful that he wasn't abandoning them or going too far away. He just wanted some distance, which was understandable. "Okay. I'll, umm, help you pack up."

"No," Daryl stopped her by getting up and standing in front of her. "You are gonna get your shit and your brother's, and you're comin' with me."

Kagome looked at him with a raised brow. "We are?" she asked him, trying not to blush with how close he was to her as her mind flashed back to the kiss they shared.

Daryl nodded, "I don't want you anywhere near Shane. He's losin' it," he stated, "You know he killed Otis, right?"

Kagome didn't know why Daryl's question surprised her, but she still gasped. The darkness in Shane's soul had now made sense. The priestess sighed as she looked down at the ground, "That's what it was."

"What?" Daryl asked stepping closer, forcing Kagome to look back up at him.

"About Shane...There's darkness in his soul that grew after that night when Otis died...And it's growing more by the day," she admitted, "Killing Otis is slowly eating him away inside. Especially if it was in cold blood."

Daryl stared at her for a moment in amazement, not knowing that she could feel people's souls. "All the more reason you should come," he told her.

Kagome slowly nodded in agreement before she went to find Souta. The hunter watched her as she left, still astonished by her ability.

It made Daryl wonder what Kagome saw when she looked into his soul.

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It took about an hour for Daryl, Kagome, and Souta to make their new camp.

Souta wasn't all that upset about the move since Shane was starting to make him uneasy. Plus, Carl was getting on his nerves by saying how great Shane was for killing all the Walkers in the barn.

Daryl looked up from making new bolts for his crossbow to see the Higurashi siblings who were sitting across from him eating a rabbit he just caught.

"I miss mom's cooking," Souta admitted after eating a few bites of rabbit. The Higurashis began talking about their mother when they were out looking for Sophia. Some memories of her made them laugh and cry, but they wanted to keep talking about her.

Kagome nodded in agreement, "She did make awesome Oden."

Her brother rolled his eyes at his sister odd obsession of Oden, while Daryl raised a brow as he paused in his task, "What's Oden?"

"The best food on the planet," Kagome answered in a dreamy manner.

"Ramen's better," Souta muttered, teasing his sister.

Daryl watched as Kagome retaliated at Souta's comment by stealing her brother's plate of rabbit and refusing to return it until Souta took back what he said. Souta refused and tried to get the plate back from his sister, which she kept out of his reach. Their bickering reminded him about the times he fought with Merle, though most of them ended with fist fights in the end.

Kagome felt Daryl's gaze on her, making her glance over to smile at him.

The hunter gave a hint of a smirk before going back to his arrows.

As he worked, Daryl's thoughts suddenly wandered to the kiss that they both shared earlier today.

Daryl didn't know what possessed him to do it.

But he didn't regret it either.

When the hunter pressed his lips against hers, Daryl half expected Kagome to push him away or even slap him. A reaction that usually happened whenever Daryl showed interest in a woman in the past.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Kagome would kiss him back.

'But she did...The fuck do I do now?' Daryl wondered, not knowing how to proceed.

His thoughts were interrupted when reality entered their new camp.

"Y'all moving to the suburbs," Lori asked the three of them half joking. A part of her didn't understand why the three of them decided to move away from the camp. When none of them responded, Loir sighed, "Look, something is going on with Beth."

This caused Kagome to become serious and give the plate of rabbit back to Souta so she could stand up, "What do you mean?"

"She's in some kind of catatonic shock," Lori informed her, "Do you think you can help?"

Kagome pondered through what herbs she had, "I can probably make something to help calm her down, but I don't know if it'll bring her completely out of it."

Lori sighed in disappointment, "Then we need Hershel."

"So what?" Daryl asked her rudely.

"So I need you to run into town real quick and bring him and Rick back," Lori explained to the hunter.

Kagome shook her head confused, "Wait a second, Rick already left to go get Hershel?" Lori nodded yes. "Then why do you need Daryl to go? You know he's still hurt."

"Because we need them back," Lori said simply.

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes in irritation. The priestess really liked Lori but there were times, like right now, when the woman can be irrationally demanding.

Lori was surprised by Kagome's behavior. She had thought that the priestess would be on her side. "Daryl?" Lori begged the hunter.

Daryl snorted, "Your bitch went window shoppin'. You want him? Fetch him yourself."

Kagome didn't like Daryl's harsh words, but Lori was being completely ridiculous with her request. 'If it was someone else out there, would she be this desperate?'

Lori looked at the two of them desperately, "What's wrong with you two? You shouldn't be so selfish."

The priestess mouth literally dropped, "Selfish?" she repeated the word, "Are you serious?"

Daryl looked at the secretly pregnant woman just as appalled and stood up to scold her. "Listen to me Olive Oyl, Kagome and I've been out lookin' for a little girl every single day. We took bullets and I took an arrow in the process. And if we weren't hurt we'd still be lookin'. So don't be talkin' to us about gettin' our hands dirty. If you want those two idiots have a nice ride," he yelled before sitting back down to work on his arrows.

Kagome shook her head in frustration and went to grab her bag that had the medicinal herbs inside. "You want to go back to the house?" Kagome asked her brother. Souta looked at Lori with annoyance before shaking his head no. "Alright, just don't get on Daryl's nerves too much," Kagome warned teasingly, before she walked to the direction of the house with Lori reluctantly following her. She didn't see Souta stick his tongue at her when she left.

Daryl watched Kagome leave, secretly wishing that she'd stayed here with him. But he couldn't help but admire her loyalty to helping other's when she could.

Souta glanced over at the hunter noticing his actions. "Do you like my sister?" he innocently asked.

The hunter was a little taken aback by the question, "The hell you talkin' about?"

The young Higurashi shook his head at Daryl's cluelessness, "Never mind."

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"Why didn't you tell him to go?" Lori harshly asked Kagome when they were half way back to the house.

Kagome rolled her eyes in irritation, "Besides the fact that it's not my responsibility, Daryl isn't strong enough to go out yet. If he was, he'd be out there looking for Sophia. Your husband isn't the only one missing."

"I know that," Lori stated.

"Do you?" Kagome retorted bitterly, "You're acting like Daryl is your lap dog and don't care if he gets hurt or worse in the process."

"We need Hershel for Beth," Lori argued, "And I need my husband back."

Kagome stopped to turn and yell at Lori, "Your husband went after Hershel, not just for Beth, but for you! You're pregnant Lori! And Hershel is the only thing that can guarantee both of your safeties during the delivery!" Lori opened her mouth to argue but quickly closed her mouth again. Kagome sighed and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "Look, you want your husband back, I get that. But Rick loves you and Carl, and would walk through hell to get back to the both of you. Just have faith in him," she said before turning around and going the rest of the way to the house.

If Kagome had stayed behind, she would have seen the determined look in Lori's eye.

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Less than an hour later, Maggie held on to her little sister's hand as Kagome applied a medicinal herb paste on Beth's chest. "Thank you," she told the priestess gratefully.

"I wish I could do more," Kagome said in regret before giving Maggie a look of sympathy, "I'm sorry about your mother and your brother." Maggie gave a small smile in appreciation. "Souta and I lost our mother to a Walker too," she admitted.

The farmer's daughter looked at the priestess sympathetically, "I didn't know that."

Kagome nodded, "I umm...I was the one who had to kill her when she changed. I'm relieved that your family was spared that burden." Maggie reached over and squeeze Kagome's clean hand in support. Kagome smiled at the action, before she wiped her hand of the paste with a wash cloth before placing a small bowl and cup on the table. "You'll need to rub some more paste on Beth's chest in the morning. And if she's able to, mix the other cup with some warm water for her to drink.

Maggie nodded in understanding, "I will."

Kagome got up and told the farm daughter good bye.

"Hey Kagome," Andrea greeted, when the priestess passed the dining room of the house. Dale and T-Dog smiled at her from their spots at the table.

"Is Souta with you?" Carl asked her, already missing the only real friend he has in this group.

Kagome shook her head, "He's in our tent," she replied, making Carl look down in disappointment.

"Are you going to stay and eat at least?" Dale asked her.

The priestess looked over at Shane, who was doing his best to ignore her, briefly before she turned back to Dale, "I ate already with Daryl and Souta, but I'll be back for breakfast in the morning."

Carol came into the room carrying a basket of cornbread, "Have you seen Lori?" she asked Kagome, "She's not in the house."

Everyone looked at one another, having no idea of where Mrs. Grimes had gone.

Kagome's eyes suddenly widened in fear, "Oh no," she said in alarm.

"What is it?" Shane asked her in a demanding voice.

"I think she went after Rick and Hershel," Kagome voiced in realization.

"Glenn's out there with them too," Maggie voiced after she came into the room.

Kagome rolled her eyes, 'Funny how Lori failed to mention that.'

Shane got up and glared at Kagome, "You knew she was gone and you didn't say anything?"

Kagome sent a sinister stare right back at him, "If I had known I would have, Shane. But if you care so much about your best friend's wife safety, then you should have offered to go instead of forcing Lori to ask Daryl."

It was very clear that Shane wanted to smack her in the face, but too many people were watching them. With that, Kagome walked out of the house to make her way back to her tent.

"Kagome wait," Carol called out as she came out of the house and went down the stairs to catch up with the priestess. Shane had also came out of the house but he passed the two women to jump in his car and left to find Lori. "Please don't go. You, Souta, and Daryl, you're pulling back from everyone. You can't do this...I already lost my girl," Carol pleaded to the priestess.

"SOPHIA'S NOT DEAD!" Kagome snapped at her.

Carol inhaled in shock by the priestess outburst.

But Kagome couldn't handle it anymore.

The constant doubt of an innocent little girl that became a part of the priestess life being gone...Gone like her mother, her friends...her first love.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Kagome quickly apologized. She suddenly started to whimper, and worried tears went down her face. "I've...I've just lost a lot of people I've loved over the years. If I start thinking that Sophia is gone too, then I...I."

Carol went to the young woman and hugged her in support, allowing Kagome to bury her head in her shoulder to cry. All this time Kagome had been keeping the worried mother's hopes up, but Carol didn't stop to think of how it was effecting the people who went to search for Sophia every day and came up with nothing. "Just let it out, sweetie," she told Kagome, "Let it out."

Kagome continued to sob into Carol's shoulder.

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"You know she's fine, right?" Souta told Daryl as they made their way back to the house. Kagome was taking too long to get back. "Kagome's probably just making sure that Beth is okay," he reasoned

Daryl didn't reply, wanting to see where Kagome was for himself. The closer they got to the house, he was able to spot the priestess on the porch with Carol at her side.

"Kagome?" Souta called out hesitantly, seeing some of the red in his sister's eyes from the dim light of the porch.

Kagome looked up and forced a smile at the both of them. "Hey," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

Daryl walked up to the porch with concern in his eyes. This was the second time he'd seen Kagome cry, and he didn't like it. If anything, Daryl would rather see her get angry then upset.

Anger was something the hunter knew how to handle.

"We're fine," Carol assured Daryl when she saw his concerning gaze, "But apparently Lori went off on her own to find Rick, Glenn and Hershel."

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Stupid bitch."

Souta looked from Daryl to Kagome, "How come Daryl's allowed to say that, but I'm not?"

Kagome gave a half smile, "Because Daryl has facial hair."

Even Daryl smirked when Souta pouted at that answer.

Suddenly, the sound of a car driving into the gates caught their attention. Carol went inside to tell the group that Shane was back.

Everyone, minus Beth, rushed out to greet them. Their eyes widened when Lori came out and had cuts and on her face.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" Andrea voiced her concerns.

Kagome went up to inspect Lori's face. It didn't look like any permanent damage was done, thankfully.

"I got in an accident," Lori admitted pushing the young priestess away, "I'm fine. Where's Rick?"

Kagome raised a brow while everyone looked at Lori just as muddled.

Seeing the confusion on their faces, Lori turned to Shane and glared at him with hatred. She only came back because Shane told her that Rick and the others had returned.

He lied to her.

"I had to get you back here," Shane stated without an ounce of regret.

"You asshole," Lori snarled at him.

"We'll look for them in the morning, I promise," he told her, "But we got to get you checked out first. We got to see if the baby's okay."

Everyone who didn't know the secret jaws dropped.

"You're having a baby?" Carl asked his mother, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Realizing that Lori had some explaining to do, Dale and Andrea led the pregnant woman into the house to get her scratches looked at. Carl followed behind them obediently, as did Shane.

"How did Lori get pregnant?" Souta asked his sister innocently.

Kagome gaped at him, not really prepared to answer the sudden question, "Well, uhh."

"She had sex," Daryl said bluntly, making the priestess smack him in the arm.

"Oh," Souta said in acceptance before he asked his next question, "What's sex?"

Kagome smacked her forehead with her hand, 'Oh great.'

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"...Then nine months later, a baby is born," Kagome finished the longest most awkward conversation she's ever had with her little brother early the next morning. The two of them were sitting in front of the tents, getting ready for the day. Daryl sitting next to them, staring at the siblings in amusement.

Souta was silent for a few moments, absorbing all of the information after his sister finished her take on the birds and the bees. "Okay," he finally replied, not really sure what else to say. "So...Can I go to the house for breakfast now?" he suddenly asked her, wanting to quickly get away from the awkward atmosphere.

"Yes, pleeeease go," Kagome told him in relief. The moment Souta got up and made his way to the house, she sent mental daggers in Daryl's direction. The hunter was doing his best trying to keep his laughter hidden. "You're going to get healed eventually. And when you do, I'm kicking your ass," she warned the hunter before she got up to walk to the house.

Daryl snickered as he grabbed his crossbow and followed her, "What? You did okay with 'The Talk'."

"Well your side commentary didn't help," Kagome snapped back at him.

Daryl kept a smirk on his face, enjoying the bickering between them. Daryl couldn't explain it, but even having Kagome be annoyed with him made his blood boil with need. If they weren't so close to the house, he would be kissing her senseless right now.

Neither of them had brought up their first kiss yet. Not knowing how to bring up the subject to each other.

But every now and then, the priestess and the hunter look at one another and just smile. It was a small comfort knowing that their unspoken kiss had not been unwelcome.

When the unofficial couple finally made it to the fence surrounding the house, they saw a familiar vehicle drive up to the farm.

"They're back," Kagome said relieved, sensing Rick, Glenn, and Hershel's souls inside the car.

Suddenly, the priestess paused mid step, feeling something else inside the approaching car.

Something familiar.

'It-it can't be,' Kagome thought in disbelief.

"What?" Daryl asked, noticing her behavior, before Kagome began to run towards the house. Daryl quickly following her, "Kagome?"

Hearing the car pull up, both groups made their way outside to greet the missing people.

"Dad," Carl cried for his father as he went up to hug him. Lori fast walked to her husband hand hugged him just as fiercely as her son.

Maggie immediately ran to Glenn, grateful that he was back.

"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery," Hershel ordered the blond woman as he went inside the house to get supplies.

Everyone greeted their friends, happy they back safe and sound.

But they didn't come back alone.

"Who the hell is that?" T-Dog asked, seeing someone in the car with a blindfold on.

"That's Randall," Glenn answered awkwardly.

Shane glared at his best friend, "And whose the other guy?" he pointed to the other individual still in the car.

"He's a friend. He saved our ass last night," Rick assured before setting his eyes on Carol, "And we brought back someone else too."

The back door of the car suddenly opened.

And a familiar face that made the Quarry group gasp.

"Mama!" Sophia cried out as she spotted her mother. Carol fell to her knees from shock as her daughter ran to her. Sophia slammed into her mother's body as she cried out tears of joy.

Carol pulled back and looked at her daughter's face, as if to make sure this all wasn't a dream. Seeing her daughter's smiling face, brought tears to Carol's eyes. "Sophia," she cried, hugging her daughter tightly.

Everyone smiled joyfully at the sight of mother and daughter finally being reunited.

Souta smiled in relief 'She's back.'

"Where the hell did ya find her?" Daryl asked, wanting to know where she had been hiding.

"Mr. Akuma saved me," Sophia answered, pulling away from her mother.

"Mr. Akuma?" Carol repeated in surprise, "Your daddy's friend?"

The new arrival, Mr. Akuma, finally came out of the vehicle.

No one seemed to notice how Kagome's eyes remained on the new arrival, Sophia's savior, since the car pulled up to the house.

Only this person wasn't so new to her.

"You," Kagome managed to say while mildly hyperventilating.

Mr. Akuma stared back at her, "It's been a long time...Miko."

Daryl looked from Mr. Akuma, to Kagome who looked like she'd seen a ghost, "You know this guy?"

Kagome could barely manage a nod before saying the new comer's name.

The name of someone she never thought she'd see again.

"Sesshōmaru."

 **Be honest, how many of you saw that coming? I did my best to keep it a surprise, but I did give little hints throughout the last few chapters. Well Sophia's back and our favorite full blooded dog demon is now in the picture. So what do you think? Next time: Sesshōmaru's tale, Beth's turmoil, and other group struggles.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	11. True Colors

**Arrows and Scars**

 **So much love! Twenty five reviews on the first day alone. Then fifteen more after that this month. Wow! No words can say how awesome that feels. Thank you and Animelover5689, Lil Hamari, The Angel That Not So Nice,** **XXkagomeX,** **chibi-Clar,** **Saebelzahnkaninchen,** **Rookie-Cat,** **NinjaGirl9797,** **once and then again,** **xxXYourBestFriendXxx,** **ksbaby07,** **Jasper'sDarlinBunny, EbonySapphire, Anber, Dorisangel, Elitehope21, NineTailFoxFan,** **mystic cloud,** **Legendary Blackr0se,** **BratCat,** **terfa, Two Sided Heart,** **Copykat2,** **bloodysilverfox, Unknown at Your Service, kuroneko1815,** **RikudouDeva,** **Xireana Prime,** **Procrastinatingismyforte,** **bijuu45,** **TerraSorren01,** **Lexie-chan94,** **saphira654,** **Animefangirl88,** **Mosaic Flame,** **LadyPhoenixKnight,** **sasuhina542000,** **This is not a FanFiction,** **Kuragehime94,** **LadyDuet, and Gleek221 so much for your support. You all rock!**

 **And I'm really sorry that Shippo didn't make an appearance...in this season. *insert subtle wink here***

 **That being said, let's get on with the show!**

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and The Walking Dead belong to their wonderful creators...Unfortunately I'm not one of them, so I own nothing. No suing please.

Chapter Eleven: True Colors

 _Everything went to shit after Rick shot those two guys inside the bar._

 _After he pulled Hershel to his senses, they were approached by two hostile men. In fear, Rick ended up shooting them before they could attack him, Glenn, or Hershel._

 _It got even worse when those two men's buddies arrived._

 _The group shot at the trio a few times until Walkers, who had heard the commotion, started closing in on them._

 _The group that shot at them left, leaving their wounded friends behind._

 _One of them was being eaten alive by Walkers, while another was stuck with his leg pierced on an iron fence after falling off the roof._

 _Nothing could be done for the man being eaten._

 _But the young man stuck on the fence could be saved._

 _Rick didn't know what the right call was at the moment. Leave the boy here since he attacked his group, or take a chance and save him._

 _After a brief argument against all three of them, they agreed to hack Randall's leg off the fence._

" _Hurry up!" Glenn urged, as she began shooting the undead in the head with his shot gun._

" _You gotta shut up," Rick warned Randal who was screaming in agony, while Hershel contemplated on how to get the boy off the fence._

 _Suddenly, Walker's began coming from the other side of the ally way that they were stuck in._

" _Oh God they're everywhere," Rick stated as he began shooting at them with his pistol. After three shots, he cursed when he realized that was the last of his bullets._

 _There were two more Walkers coming towards him._

 _Before Rick could even consider what to use as a weapon, the Walker's heads was suddenly severed from their bodies by a sword. When the undead bodies fell to the ground, Rick saw a tall man standing behind them. He had an emotionless expression on his face as he put away his sword. The unknown man had black shoulder length hair and bright amber eyes, and was wearing dark blue jeans, a surprisingly clean white shirt, and black boots._

 _Rick pointed his pistol at the man in a threatening matter, not knowing whose side this man was on. He may have been out of bullets, but that didn't mean this new guy knew that._

" _Who are you?" Rick demanded as he aimed his gun towards the stranger._

" _Mr. Grimes?" a tiny voice that Rick recognized spoke._

 _Sophia stepped away from her protector, looking at Rick in recognition and relief since knew that the officer would be able to lead her to her mother._

" _Sophia?" Rick questioned in astonishment. Since now wasn't the time to doddle, Rick shook his surprise off. "Sophia, who is this?"_

" _This is Mr. Akuma," Sophia quickly explained, "He saved me the night I got lost."_

 _Rick sighed in relief when he heard that news. Sophia had been safe and protected all this time. And after hearing that Mr. Akuma had saved her, Rick lowered his gun. "Come on," he encouraged them both to follow him._

 _After a few more moments of arguing about Randal's condition._

 _Rick finally decided to quickly slide the leg off the iron fence. Sophia screamed in horror at the sight, as Randall cried bloody murder from the pain._

 _Mr. Akuma, otherwise known across the Western lands of Japan as Lord Sesshōmaru, grabbed Randal and tossed him over his shoulder effortless and wordlessly._

 _Rick ordered everyone into the car as they drove off and fled the herd of Walkers._

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"And that's what happened," Rick finished telling the group what had happened as they sat in the sitting area of Hershel's house. "We couldn't just leave Randal behind. And after Sesshōmaru saved Sophia and the rest of us, I had to bring him."

Kagome stared at the demon lord from her spot near Souta and Daryl in disbelief. She couldn't get over the fact that Sesshōmaru was standing there in front of the entry way of the room like a statue. And although the demon lord looked human right now, the priestess knew it was some kind of disguise. He probably had no choice, since he lived so long among humans without anyone knowing what he truly was.

But even with the human disguise, Sesshōmaru still had Tenseiga at his side, 'At least some things haven't changed.'

The priestess also couldn't help but raise a brow at Sesshōmaru's choice in surname. The word Akuma, when it was translated to English, meant demon. If you stick to Japanese tradition and say the surname first, his full name was Demon Sesshōmaru. 'Seriously? Could he be a little more obvious?' she thought to herself.

Daryl glanced from the woman at his side to the man standing in front him. 'He don't look like a demon,' the hunter thought in confusion. Even with the sword at his side, Sesshōmaru didn't seem very strong. Then again, he remembered what Kagome said about strong demons being able to look like a human. Still, even if Daryl didn't know the truth, there was something about Sesshōmaru that just made you stay on your guard around him.

The others must have felt the same way since they didn't know what to make of Sesshōmaru yet.

"And what happened to you Sophia?" Carol asked her daughter, who was sitting next to her on one of the coaches. She refused to let her little girl out of her sight, and possibly never will again.

"After Mr. Grimes left me in that thicket, I tried going back to the highway like he said...But I saw another Walker," Sophia said and then looked to her feet shamefully. "I got scared and ran away. I didn't know where I was, so I just kept running. Before it got dark I found a house and hid in the kitchen pantry."

Daryl and Kagome couldn't help but give Shane a 'we told you so' look.

"That's where Mr. Akuma found me," Sophia finished looking at Sesshōmaru gratefully.

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 _The sound of footsteps echoed the halls of the house making Sophia whimper. She knew it couldn't have been the group because the intruder didn't call out her name or even speak. Sophia quickly covered her mouth to keep silent, hoping whatever was in the house didn't hear her._

 _The footsteps continued._

 _Growing louder and louder with every step._

 _Sophia's eyes watered with tears when she saw a shadow appear beneath the pantry door._

 _The door quickly opened._

 _And there stood Sesshōmaru in his usual expressionless demeanor._

 _Sophia gasped in surprise, "Mr-Mr. Akuma?"_

" _Sophia," Sesshōmaru said her name before she lunged into the demon's midsection for a hug._

" _Mr. Akuma!" she whimpered happily that she found someone she knew she could trust._

 _Sophia had known Sesshōmaru ever since she was little, and had always loved it when he came over to their house to visit. He was always nice to her, and never seemed to mind it when she talked to him about school and her friends._

 _Sesshōmaru was the only person that ever made Sophia feel safe, especially around her father._

 _The demon lord wasn't prepared for Sophia's embrace, but he didn't push the little girl away. "Are you hurt?" he asked her, even though he didn't smell any blood he needed to be sure._

 _Sophia shook her head, "No...But I lost Mama and the others."_

 _The demon raised a brow, wondering for a brief moment who Sophia meant by others. "I see," Sesshōmaru replied, not questioning her any further._

" _I don't know what to do," Sophia whimpered, "I don't know where they are. I got lost."_

 _Sesshōmaru pushed the girl back and looked at her for a moment, contemplating there next move, "You'll rest here for the night. We'll leave at first light."_

 _Feeling safer then she had in her whole life, Sophia nodded._

 _From that moment on, Sesshōmaru cared for and guarded Sophia until they stumbled upon Rick, Glenn and Hershel. It wasn't a difficult task for the demon, since the little girl refused to leave his side._

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"Sesshōmaru is a family friend of Ed's," Carol told the group after Sophia finished her story. "He's a good man," she assured the group, when she noticed the wariness in their eyes about being a friend of Ed.

"But how do you two know each other?" Andrea asked Kagome and Sesshōmaru. She remembered the priestess mentioning his name when telling one of her stories. 'Maybe she just borrowed it,' the blond figured.

Sesshōmaru gazed over at the priestess, **"You didn't tell them, Miko?"**

"They wouldn't have believed me," Kagome stated in English, while telling him with her eyes to stay silent about it.

"Believe what?" Dale asked in confusion, "With the dead rising and walking around, I'd pretty much believe anything at this point."

The other's nodded in agreement.

"It's a long story," Kagome told them honestly, "One that we can explain after we deal with our new dilemma."

"As you wish, Miko," Sesshōmaru stated, not wanting to put the priestess on the spot. The demon held a form of respect for Kagome after the battle with Naraku, and decided to obey her reasonable request.

"Why does he keep calling you Miko?" Maggie asked curiously.

"It's the Japanese word for priestess," Souta quickly explained.

Shane shook his head still unconvinced by Sesshōmaru intentions, "Friend of Kagome's or not, it doesn't mean we should trust this guy or let him in the group."

Sophia ran off the couch, made her way to Sesshōmaru and wrapped her arms around his arm. "Please don't send him away. Mr. Akuma's my friend," she begged to Shane and the rest of the wary adults.

"Sophia, get out of the way," Shane raised his voice to her in warning.

"You will NOT speak to her that way," Sesshōmaru ordered in his influential tone. One that made a few of the adults hair stand on end.

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes, **"There's no need to kill him, Lord Sesshōmaru,"** she told him in Japanese, **"He's only a weak human and not worth the effort."**

The demon's eyes went to the priestess, **"Old habits are hard to break, priestess,"** he replied in a monotone voice.

Shane looked at them in irritation, "What the hell y'all saying?"

"The miko is trying to convince me not to kill you," Sesshōmaru admitted with his emotionless voice. Glenn let out a small laugh but it quickly died down when Sesshōmaru gave no indication that he was kidding.

"Sesshōmaru protected my little girl," Carol declared, getting back on the subject. "Of course he's staying with the group."

"And he saved us out there," Rick added, "He proved himself twice...I say he stays."

"As do I," Hershel agreed. Anyone who saved a child out of the goodness of their hearts was alright in the old veterinarian's opinion.

Shane still glared at Sesshōmaru with untrustworthiness.

The demon lord stared back at him completely unaffected. Daring him with his amber colored eyes to try something.

Shane reluctantly agreed with Rick and Hershel's decision, but Sesshōmaru knew that this human was trouble. 'I should speak to the Miko about this,' he concluded.

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After the group discussed what they were going to do with Randal, Daryl and Kagome went outside to talk privately.

"Is it really him?" Daryl questioned her. Kagome nodded yes trying to process what was happening. "And he's...a demon?" he asked, trying to get over the fact that the word 'demon' even left his mouth.

"Yes," she answered truthfully, "Are you okay with that?" Kagome couldn't help but ask. 'Reading about something and saying its real is one thing, but actually seeing it is another,' she thought to herself.

Daryl shrugged, "He's not gonna kill us or nothin' is he?"

Kagome couldn't help but snort, "No...Unless you get on his bad side. Then you might want to start reciting your final prayers," she added as a somewhat serious warning.

"So you still trust him?" Daryl asked, wanting to be cautious.

The priestess wasn't sure on how to answer that question. "Sesshōmaru and I have a...complicated history," Kagome voiced honestly. There were a few times when the demon tried to kill her, and Kagome had fought and threatened him a few times. But in the end, they didn't consider each other enemies. "But I think so...And he did rescue Sophia, so that's a good sign."

"I guess," Daryl nodded before giving a look of disappointment.

Kagome tilted her head, guessing what the hunter was so displeased about. "You really wanted to be the one to find her, didn't you?" she voiced.

The hunter wanted to say yes but merely shrugged instead, "She's with her mom now, S'all that matters."

The priestess smiled widely at the hunter. She could tell that Daryl was disappointed that he wasn't the one to find the girl even after what they'd both been through to find her. And yet, he was just relived that Sophia was safe.

To show how proud she was, Kagome walked up to him and kissed his cheek.

Daryl eye's widened slightly before he looked at her in mild embarrassment, "Whatd'ya do that for?"

"Because you're really sweet," she replied simply, "You really are like an angel."

The hunter snorted, "Stop," he said a little flustered, making Kagome giggle.

"Am I interrupting?" Sesshōmaru spoke from his spot on the porch. The couple looked at the demon, surprised that he didn't make a sound. "You didn't even sense me, Miko. You're instincts are getting rusty."

Kagome would have rolled her eyes but she didn't want to disrespect the demon lord. "It's been a few years for me," she reminded him.

"And it's been a few centuries for me," Sesshōmaru replied walking down the porch steps, "But I still smelt your scent lingering on those three human men inside."

The priestess looked at the demon dismayed, she gestured for both men to follow her as they walked over to the barn. "You can't say stuff like that, Sesshōmaru," she warned the demon when they were in front of the barn.

Sesshōmaru gazed over to the hunter, "And yet this human seems unaffected by my statement. You told him about your past endeavors, yet you're keeping it from your other companions."

"This is Daryl," Kagome introduced, the hunter gave a nod in greeting. "I told him the truth about my past because I trust him. But the others aren't ready to hear about it yet. They have other problems to worry about right now."

Daryl was stunned to hear Kagome openly admit that she trusted him. He sort of figured that she did, but it felt different to hear it being said out loud.

"Concerning the wounded human we brought with us," Sesshōmaru voiced, continuing the conversation. "Rick was willing to risk his life to save a boy who tried to kill him...After all this time, human compassion is still something that baffles me."

Daryl raised a brow, "That's funny. Comin' from a guy that saved a little girl."

"That was different," Sesshōmaru replied simply, "I made a vow centuries ago, and I attend to keep it."

"Vow?" Kagome repeated in confusion, "What vow?"

Sesshōmaru's gaze turned to the priestess, "Are you blind, Miko? Or are your sacred powers truly lacking?"

"Could you knock off the insults and just tell me, please," Kagome said in mild irritation.

The demon lord raised a brow, "Do you truly not see it, Miko? Do you not see or feel 'her' in Sophia?"

Kagome raised a brow before she looked over at the house where Sophia was, before looking back at the demon. She didn't understand what he meant, 'Who does he,' the priestess began to wonder before a light bulb suddenly went off in her head, 'Oh Kami, does he mean?'

"What's he talkin' about?" Daryl asked, completely lost.

Kagome looked at Daryl, "Remember when I told that story about Sesshōmaru and the little girl he saved in the woods."

The hunter looked back at the house, then back to Kagome, "Her name was Rin, right?"

"Yes," she replied before turning back to Sesshōmaru, "Are you telling me that Rin is...Sophia's ancestor?"

Sesshōmaru gave a small nod, "At least your intelligence is intact."

Kagome would have been insulted if she wasn't so awed by what fate has thrown her way.

What were the odds that she would meet Sesshōmaru again and meet one of Rin's descendants?

"So that's why you protected Sophia," she said out loud in understanding.

The demon looked to the house, watching Sophia and her mother walking around the front yard. "After the battle with Naraku, I left Rin in the human village. The old lady Kaede advised me to let Rin live among humans before she made the final decision of where she wanted to stay. The humans or me...I agreed with her," Kagome couldn't help but give a small smile for Sesshōmaru's sacrifice. "A few years later, Rin met a human man who later became her husband, and had many children with him. On Rin's death bed, she begged me to watch after her family...I couldn't deny her request," he admitted with a small hint of emotion in his voice.

Oddly, Daryl found the vow the demon made to be an admirable one. Still it pegged the question, "If you're supposed to protect Sophia, then where the hell were ya when the Walkers showed up?"

Sesshōmaru glared at the hunter, "Rin had many descendants living in Japan and this country. I was obligated to track them all down. As far as I'm aware, Sophia is the only one remaining."

"Then why didn't you bring her back to Carol when you found her? Why put Rin's descendants through that kind of heartache?" Kagome asked the demon.

"Carol is not Rin's descendant, so her emotional state is not my concern. Sophia's safety is all that matters," Sesshōmaru stated simply.

Kagome and Daryl looked at one another in realization.

If Carol wasn't a descendant, then the only other candidate was Ed.

"Did Ed know? About you?" Kagome asked the demon curiously.

"Yes," Sesshōmaru replied, "I reveal my true self to Rin's family after they reached a certain age. However, I had to tell Sophia once I found her in the woods"

Sophia's reaction to Sesshōmaru's being a demon was definitely an odd one.

The demon lord didn't understand why she wasn't afraid when he first showed her his demonic features. Sophia explained that a woman named Kagome had told her stories about demons and how not all of them were bad or evil. It was only then that Sesshōmaru decided that they should go and find Sophia's original group, knowing that the priestess he'd met so long ago was among them.

"I must admit, I'm not entirely disappointed that Ed did not survive," Sesshōmaru told to the priestess and hunter.

Daryl glared at the demon in anger, "You knew! You knew what that bastard was doin' to his own daughter?!"

"He did NOTHING to Sophia," Sesshōmaru guaranteed heatedly. "My vow couldn't allow me to kill Ed. But trust me human, there are many things worse than death. And I informed Ed of what I'd do if he dared harm Sophia that way."

Kagome suppressed a shudder at the thought of what Sesshōmaru did to convince Ed to keep his hands to himself, and she was pretty sure she didn't want to know. So instead, Kagome smiled at the demon, "Sophia's lucky to have you watching over her."

Sesshōmaru raised a brow at the compliment. Out of all the human's he'd been forced to know over his long life, the priestess was certainly the most peculiar.

"I'm guessin' you'dve stayed regardless of Rick and Hershel's decision," Daryl said, his rage finally subsiding.

"Umm, excuse me," Souta got the adults attention before Sesshōmaru could respond.

The young Higurashi had remembered the stories that his sister had told him about the demon. It was amazing to finally meet him, but he had an important matter to do first.

Souta bowed at the demon with respect, "Lord Sesshōmaru...Thank you for saving Sophia."

Sesshōmaru stared at Souta for a few moments, showing no sign of responding to the boy. Although he was a demon, he could tell that this boy, who smelt like he was related to the priestess, cared about Sophia. As he processed the thought, he looked back to the priestess. "I will guard Sophia," the demon lord stated, "And anyone else she wishes. It's up to her." With his final words, Sesshōmaru made his way back to the house to properly guard Sophia.

Souta stood up straight again, and watched the demon lord as he left them.

Daryl huffed when the demon was far away, "You said he was cold but honorable...Didn't really get that till now," he said to Kagome.

"He's definitely one of a kind," she agreed before turning to him, "You're one of the few people I know who's yelled at him and lived to tell about it."

The hunter raised a brow, unsure of what to do with that knowledge.

"I-I didn't do anything disrespectful, did I?" Souta asked his sister.

Kagome shook her head and smiled at her brother with pride, "No Souta. You did very well."

Souta nodded in relief before he, his sister and the hunter watched the demon return to the house.

With Sesshōmaru here, they knew things were going to get more complicated.

For better or worse.

No one was sure.

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Hershel informed the group that it would take about a week for Randall to heal well enough to travel.

During that week, everyone was wary of the young man injured in the shed, wondering what they were going to do with him.

Eventually, the group agreed that they would drop Randall off at least eighteen miles away from Hershel's farm.

Kagome thought the plan was the most humane, but Shane and Andrea continuously protested with the decision. It took Rick a few days to assure them that there was no way that Randall knew where they were located.

Over the first few days, the group was also cautious of their other new guest, Sesshōmaru.

The Atlanta group thought that the Dixons were distant at the Quarry, but Sesshōmaru was on a whole other level. They would often find the demon patrolling around the border line of the woods, guarding them from Walkers. Rick voiced that he shouldn't do that alone, but Sesshōmaru convinced him that it was best way to keep the group safe. It wasn't till the day that a few stray Walkers wandered close to Hershel's land that people began warming up to Sesshōmaru. The demon lord used very little demonic speed and strength to take down all four Walkers before anyone in the group could pull out their guns.

Sophia, Souta, and Carl looked to Sesshōmaru with wonderment after that, while the adults looked to him in gratitude.

However, Shane would still glare at Sesshōmaru harshly. He didn't trust the demon lord as far as he could throw him. 'If he's a threat to Lori and Carl, I'll kill him,' Shane plotted to himself.

Now that Sesshōmaru was officially a part of the group, Kagome and Daryl were able to feel more relaxed about Hershel's farm being protected, and allowed them to spend more time with each other. The hunter and priestess were still unsure of what to call their relationship. They never officially talked about what had happened at the pond, but they had an obvious attraction towards one another.

So instead of talking, the couple let their actions speak for them.

It all started when Daryl was finally able to teach Kagome how to shoot a gun after both their wounds were healed. The priestess eventually got the hang of using the firearm after a few lessons, but she voiced her detest of the weapon. Instead of arguing with her, Daryl went into the woods and made her some more arrows for bow. Kagome was so happy about what he'd done, that she found the courage to kiss Daryl for the second time, this time on the lips.

The two of them never did exactly talk about their first kiss or even the second.

This was something new for both of them.

But, they didn't regret it or try to stop it.

In fact the couple shared a few more kisses with each other during the week.

However, Daryl never did anything when someone from the group was around them. He was never really comfortable showing affection, especially in public.

Luckily for Daryl, Kagome didn't question his behavior and didn't force him to change because of it.

'But are we boyfriend and girlfriend?' she wondered to herself, more than once.

Eventually, Kagome realized how silly it was to even worry about labels for a relationship during an apocalypse. She liked Daryl. And since he didn't push her away, Kagome figured it meant he liked her too. 'That's good enough for me,' she decided.

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Time flew by and it finally became the day the group would release Randall.

Which is why it surprised Daryl and Kagome, when Rick came to their camp. The couple didn't move back to the house after Sophia was found since they liked the small privacy they had. Kagome was setting their laundry on the cloth's line while Daryl was cleaning his crossbow, as "I need you both to be at the house, since I'm taking Shane with me to release Randall," Rick said to them.

Daryl stopped what he was doing and looked at the former officer curiously, "Why take Shane?"

Rick let out an angry huff, "There are a few things I need to discuss with him. Alone."

Kagome raised a brow as she held one of Daryl's damp shirts, "Is this about him and Lori?"

The former officer was stunned by the question. "You know about that?" Rick asked her.

"Amy had to point it out to me," Kagome admitted, "Is there anything that the group needs to worry about?"

Rick thought her words over, unsure of the answer himself. "Lori thought I was dead. Whatever happened between her and Shane, it happened. But it's over between them now...And regardless of how Shane feels, it's my baby that Lori's carrying."

Kagome knew that Rick was a good man, but this was something she didn't expect anyone to do. 'Forgiving his best friend for being with his wife and raising a child that may not even be his...That's incredible,' she couldn't help but admire. However, Kagome was also afraid for Rick, 'Who knows what Shane might do to him when they're alone.'

Daryl had the same concerns, "What do you want us to do if Shane comes back and you're not with him?"

"I trust y'all's judgments," Rick informed them honestly. "All I ask is that you look after Lori and my boy."

Kagome nodded in understanding, "We can do that."

"Thanks," Rick told them both before he went back to the house.

Kagome looked over to Daryl, "What do you think?"

The hunter shrugged, "Deal with it if or when it happens...You go back to the house, I'm gonna go out and hunt."

The priestess nodded as hung the last shirt on the cloths line, "Be careful, Tenshi."

"Get early grays from worryin' so much, Baby Girl," Daryl informed her as he put on his vest and grabbed his crossbow.

Kagome playfully glared at him, "Jerk."

Daryl gave her a small smirk before he kissed Kagome's forehead. A gesture that seemed to get easier as time went by, "Stay safe," he told her.

She looked into his eyes, just as serious, "You too."

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An hour or so later, Kagome found out that Beth's depression had become more severe. Lori had found and taken away a knife that the blond girl had hidden on her. Beth had planned to use it later to kill herself. Hershel, Jimmy, and Patricia were busy tending to the farm. But when Maggie heard about what happened, she was furious.

Lori, Kagome, and Andrea could hear the sisters arguing back and forth with each other from Beth's room about the issue.

"Maybe we should go in and help Maggie," Kagome suggested to Lori and Andrea.

"It's a family affair. Let them work it out," Lori said, thinking that staying out of it was best.

Andrea snorted, "That's working it out?" she asked rhetorically to the farm girls yelling.

Lori nodded, "When Beth stops fighting, that's when we start worrying."

"I guess you're right," Kagome figured, agreeing with the pregnant woman.

The women were silent for a few moments, before Andrea voiced her thoughts. "This could have been handled better," she told them.

Lori began putting away dishes from the lunch she'd given to Beth, "How so?"

"You shouldn't have taken the knife away," Andrea answered simply.

Both Lori and Kagome looked at Andrea, completely shocked and disgusted by what she had suggested.

"Excuse me?" Lori questioned the blond, as she turned around to face her.

"You were wrong," Andrea specified to Lori, "Like Dale taking my gun. That wasn't your decision."

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes, 'Is she STILL going on about that?' she thought in annoyance. "Dale did that because he cares about you, Andrea. And Lori took away Beth's knife because she cares about her," Kagome explained.

"Thank you," Lori said, glad that at least the priestess was on her side on this matter.

"Look, Beth has to choose to live on her own," Andrea continued to explain, "She has to find her own reasons."

Kagome looked at the blond skeptically, "So you think we should have kept Beth's actions to ourselves. Is that what you're implying?"

"If Beth was serious, she would have found another way," Andrea retorted.

"That doesn't mean we can't stop her or show her we care," Lori replied, trying to focus on cleaning. It was the only thing from smacking Andrea in the face.

Andrea sighed in irritation, "That has nothing to do with it, Lori. Beth only has so many choices in front of her, and she thinks the best one is suicide." She looked at the priestess, "Kagome you get it right?"

Kagome raised a brow, "Get what?"

"You tried to commit suicide too," Andrea pointed out, "Explain it to her."

"No I didn't. I said I had thought about it," Kagome corrected her, "And when I did, I talked to my mother about how I was feeling. It was my family that brought me back from my depression."

Lori looked to the blond triumphantly, "You see. I'm right."

Andrea looked at Kagome completely baffled before going back to her argument, "Beth doesn't need to be yelled at or treated like a child."

"She needs a loaded gun right?" Lori figured that's what Andrea was thinking. "You'll understand if we don't send you in there."

"I came through," Andrea argued, not appreciating Lori's tone.

'And all you've done is complain since then,' Kagome thought herself in mild annoyance.

Unfortunately, Lori wasn't as modest. "And you became such a productive member of the group," the woman replied sarcastically, "We'll let Maggie handle this her way."

Andrea was still insulted by the pregnant woman's words. "I contribute. I help keep this place safe," she disputed.

Kagome sighed, knowing that this argument was going in a completely different direction.

Lori wiped off her hands with a towel, "The men can handle this on their own, Andrea. They don't need your help."

"What would you have me do?" Andrea asked, daring Lori to enlighten her.

"Oh, there's plenty of work to go around," Lori told her.

Andrea glared at her, "Are you serious? Everything falls apart, you're in my face over skipping laundry?"

"It puts a burden on the rest of us," Lori voiced, "Me, Carol, Patricia, Maggie."

"And what about Kagome?" Andrea pointed to the Japanese woman. "She moved away with Daryl, screwing him on a daily basis, but you're on my case?"

Kagome's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that Andrea was insulting her to try and justify her own selfish actions. "I don't know what exactly you're implying, Andrea. But even though I moved away with Daryl AND my little brother, I've still helped out around here every day. I clean, I cook, and I've gone out to find medicinal herbs for our group. But because you have some need to prove that you can fire a stupid gun, you're saying that I'm doing the exact same thing you are?!"

"I'm on watch against Walkers, that's what matters," Andrea defended herself, "Not putting fresh mint leaves in lemonade."

"We're trying to providing stability," Lori snapped at the blond woman, "We're trying to make a life worth living."

"Are you kidding me?" Andrea continued to yell, completely baffled.

Lori let out a sigh, "Look, I went after Rick. I took down two Walkers."

"And totaled Maggie's car," Andrea said interrupting the pregnant woman, "Ever apologize for that?"

"You're insane," Lori replied in frustration.

Andrea shook her head, "No, you are. And you're the one that's self-centered, the way you take it all for granted."

Lori glared sinisterly at the blond, "My husband is out there for the hundredth time! My son was shot! DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME I TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED," she shouted, making Kagome take a step back.

"Your husband came back from the dead," Andrea pointed out, "Your son too. And now you've got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses, but you just keep on keeping on."

Lori, once again, had to take a few steps back to not hit Andrea. She folded her arms just to be more cautious. "We have all suffered," Lori voiced.

Andrea continued her outburst, ignoring Lori's words, "Playing house, acting like the queen bee, laying down rules for everyone but yourself. You know what? Go ahead. Go in there and tell Beth that everything is going to be fine. She'll get a husband, a son, baby...boyfriend." Lori looked at the woman completely stunned that she knew about her and Shane. "She just has to look on the bright side," Andrea concluded, thinking she'd won.

"Oh shut up, Andrea!" Kagome snapped, finally fed up with the blond woman's ranting. "So Lori was with Shane back at the Quarry. Big deal. You and I both know that she's not the only one that slept with him."

For the first time in the argument, Andrea was at a loss, "Wh-what are you talking about?"

Kagome gave an unamused laugh, "You accused me of 'screwing' Daryl," she said using air quotes, "I'm not. But Kami knows that you've slept with Shane." Andrea's face went red but she made no attempt to deny it. "You've been trailing after the man like a lost puppy, hanging on his every word, ever since you came back from gun training."

"That's not true," Andrea tried to deny it.

"Yes it is," Kagome interrupted, getting completely fed up with both women. "My Kami, you both need to get over yourselves." Lori was surprised to hear that the priestess was mad at her too. "You're arguing about how selfish the other one is, when in reality you both are. Hell, everyone in this group is selfish. But that's what makes us human. The sooner you both realize that, the sooner you both can stop arguing like a couple of ten year olds!" she yelled before leaving the house.

Both woman stood there silently for a few moments, before Andrea stormed out of the room.

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After arguing with both woman in the kitchen, Kagome decided to watch over Souta, Carl and Sophia. The children helped her as they gathered medicinal herbs at the boarder of the woods, and began to sort them while Kagome told them a story.

"So what happened to the Wind Sorceress after her master stabbed in the heart?" Carl asked the priestess in anticipation.

Kagome smiled at his eagerness, "The Sorceress fell from the sky and landed hard on the ground," she answered from their spots on the outside eating table. "Her body was decaying from the inside, thanks to the miasma that was put there by her master." The children shuddered at the description. "Just when the Wind Sorceress thought that she was going to die all alone, the demon that she was in love with suddenly appeared. The Sorceress was dying, and she knew she didn't have long... But in the end she was smiling." Carl and Sophia looked at her confused, "For a few brief moments, she was in the presence of the man she loved and he was going to be the last thing she ever saw...When the Wind Sorceress died, she was happy."

"What happened to the demon she loved?" Sophia asked wanting to know more.

Kagome glanced over at Sesshōmaru, who was gazing into the distance of the farm, using his demonic senses to check the grounds. She knew the demon could hear her, but as she suspected, Sesshōmaru showed no signs of protest to her telling Kagura's story.

"He didn't say a word to her as her body disappeared where she layed. Her powers allowed her to transform into the wind she was so fond of, and received the one thing she wanted more than anything...Her freedom," Kagome finished.

Carl snorted, "That's stupid."

"No it's not," Souta disagreed, "The Sorceress was cool. She fought to regain control of her life and even though she died, she got what she wanted in the end."

"Yeah, I like her too," Sophia admitted, while smiling at Souta.

The young Higurashi blushed at her staring and went back to sorting the herbs.

Kagome looked at her brother and Sophia, and she couldn't help but smile at them. Ever since she had returned, Sophia and Souta had become closer friends. They even began taking walks around the farm together, always in the sight of an adult, and occasionally held hands.

It was getting more obvious that Sophia and Souta had huge crushes on each other.

Everyone thought it was cute, except for Carl.

The young Grimes started to feel left out whenever Sophia and Souta went off together. They were his only friends, and he felt like they were abandoning him. Carl was already feeling left out because of Shane's recent coldness towards him and his parents keeping secrets from him. He hated how he was being treated, and he was starting to feel lonely.

"Kagome!" the sound of Lori's voice brought the group out of their own thoughts.

The priestess looked at the pregnant woman in alarm, "What is it?"

"It's Beth!" Lori said in a mild panic, "She hurt herself!"

Needing no more explanation, Kagome ran back with Lori into the house.

When they went into Beth's room, the young blond was crying. Tears were coming down continuously down her face as she put pressure on her bloody wrist.

Maggie was holding on to her sister's wrist as well, trying to be strong for her sibling.

Kagome looked at Beth's wound, grateful that the cut it wasn't too deep. After the bleeding had stopped, the priestess disinfected the wound, stitched it the best she could, and wrapped in in a bandage.

Maggie was holding her little sister as she cried on her shoulder, telling her that everything was alright.

"There," Kagome told Beth, "Is that too tight?"

Beth shook her head, calming down a little from her episode. "I'm so sorry," she said for the twentieth time.

Kagome shushed her, "You're still here. That's all that matters to us."

Lori let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Beth was alright for now.

"Kagome," Souta came into the room, "Carl went to go get Andrea."

"Good," Maggie said, as she gently left her sister's side and made a bee line out the door. Lori followed quickly behind her, afraid that the farmer's daughter might do something she'll regret later.

Kagome looked torn as she looked at Beth and then the direction the two women had left.

"I'll look after her if you want," Souta offered.

The priestess looked at her brother gratefully before she dashed out of the room.

Souta looked to the ground nervously, unable to look at the now wounded Beth. He couldn't help but feel a little responsible for this since he was the one who killed her Walker mother. "I'm...I'm real sorry about your mom," he told her in sympathy. When he was finally able to look up, he could see Beth staring at the ceiling, avoiding his gaze. "I know what it's like," Souta admitted to her.

That made Beth turn to look at him, "You do?"

"I lost my Mama to a Walker too," Souta explained as he sat down on the corner of the bed by Beth's feet. "I saw her get ripped apart right in front of me."

Beth adjusted herself on the bed so she could sit up, "My God...I'm-I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically. She couldn't believe that this little boy had witnessed something so horrible. "How did you...Move on from something like that?" she asked curiously. 'Why can he still be so calm after seeing his mother die?' she wondered.

"It sucked...It hurt so much that I stopped talking. I didn't utter a word for almost two whole months," Souta answered truthfully, making Beth's eyes widened. "It freaked my sister out, even though she'll never admit it...But when I finally was able to speak again, Kagome and I started talking about mom whenever we could. The things we missed about her and our favorite memories of her...It was strange. I thought talking about her would make me sad...But it actually helped me feel better."

Beth held an unreadable expression, but was absorbing everything the boy had told her. "What was your mom's name?" she suddenly asked.

"Kun-lun," he answered.

Beth liked the name, it sounded so unique in her ears. "Could you...Can you tell me about her?" she hesitantly asked, not wanting to make Souta feel sad.

Instead, Souta smiled and adjusted himself on the bed, "Where to start...Well, I was Mama's favorite. Hands down. So you can imagine all the awesome treats she used to bake just for me."

Beth couldn't help but give a small smile the more Souta talked about his mother.

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Meanwhile, Maggie, Lori and Kagome watched as Andrea ran up to the house.

"Where were you?" Maggie asked Andrea, demanding to know.

"I heard," Andrea retorted, since Carl told her what had happened. "Is she alright?" she asked in genuine concern.

Maggie glared daggers at Andrea, "She would be if you had stayed with her. Where. Were. You?"

Instead of answering, Andrea looked to Lori and Kagome, "How bad is she?"

Lori ran her fingers through her hair at Andrea's audacity to ignore Maggie's question, "It wasn't deep."

Suddenly, Andrea gave a victorious smile with a big sigh of relief, "She wants to live. Beth made her decision."

Maggie looked at the woman appalled, "She tried to kill herself."

"No she didn't," Andrea argued, since Beth was still alive.

"Kagome had to stitch her up," Maggie pointed out.

"She'll live," Andrea countered.

Kagome let out a sigh, knowing that was the worst thing Andrea could have said to plead her case.

Andrea tried to go into the house to see Beth. Maggie instantly got in her path, "Stay away from her," she bitterly warned the blond woman, "From both of us. Don't you dare, step foot inside this house again."

Andrea looked to Lori and Kagome, expecting them to defend her from the threat. Instead, all she found was disappointment in their eyes. Realizing that she'd lost any type of support, she turned and left the house.

Wanting more of an explanation for Andrea's actions, Kagome followed her, "Andrea, wait."

"How could you do that?" Andrea stopped walking and turned to ask Kagome, "Having Maggie yell at me like that. Why didn't you stick up for me?"

"What did you expect to happen, Andrea?" Kagome asked shrugging. "Would you have acted any differently if it was Amy with a slit wrist?"

Andrea glared at the Asian woman, "Leave my sister out of it."

Kagome shook her head, "You just can't admit when you're wrong, can you?" she accuse. "You constantly remind Dale and everyone that he took a decision away from you. But you did the exact same thing to Beth."

"I did not," Andrea argued in defense.

"You forced her hand," Kagome continued, "By leaving Beth alone, along with Kami knows what you said to her. You pretty much guided that piece of glass to her wrist. And that wasn't YOUR decision to make," she ended with the exact same words Andrea loved using on Dale, Lori, and everyone else.

The blond woman looked at the priestess completely hurt by her words, "I thought you were my friend?"

Kagome couldn't help but snort in response, "Friends? Andrea, you insulted me during that fight with Lori. You accused me of not contributing to this group. Now you suddenly want me to back you up when people yell at you. That's not how you treat a friend."

Andrea didn't respond to the priestess accusations. Instead, she walked away in defeat. All she was trying to do was help Beth and this was the thanks she getting from everyone. 'They'll never understand,' the woman figured.

Kagome watched as she walked away, feeling a familiar presence come up behind her.

"That was very harsh of you, Miko," Sesshōmaru said in slight surprise, "You're usually more sympathetic."

Kagome shook her head, "Not with this," she replied simply, "Andrea may be a friend, but I don't agree with her on this."

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"Sounds like you had one hell of a day," Daryl said when Kagome told him what had happened. The hunter had very little luck on finding any deer. Luckily there were was plenty of squirrel and rabbits in the area to make up for it.

"I'm just glad that Beth's okay," Kagome admitted.

Before Daryl could comment, a familiar car drove up to the farm.

Kagome and Daryl ran up to the house.

The first thing the entire group noticed was the blood and cuts on Rick and Shane's faces.

The second was that Randall was still tied up in the car.

"What the hell happened to y'all?" T-Dog asked the two men.

"We got a problem," Rick told the entire group, "Randall knew all along where the farm was. We can't let him go...Not now."

The women gasped in horror.

If Randall knew where the Greens farm then he could easily bring back his group to their location.

'This isn't good,' Kagome realized.

What were they going to do with Randall now?

 **Well, now this is happening. So what do you guys think? I know I'm moving a little fast on Kagome and Daryl's relationship but keep in mind that a lot of time went by in this chapter so they did grow closer 'off screen' They're both just shy about talking about their feelings and just find it easier to express it with their actions. Anyway, don't forget to review this chapter. Next time: The decision about Randall, couples grow closer, and more secrets are revealed.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	12. It's Who We Are

**Arrows and Scars**

 **AN: Hello and Happy Holidays to all!**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **yourworldismine: Awww, thank you so much.**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: I know exactly how you feel.**

 **Spastic Freak: I'm glad you think so, since I kept rewriting this part.**

 **lifelovelaugh: You'll have to read and see.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: Ah yes, I've always hated that argument between Andrea and Lori. They both needed to put in their place.**

 **Lisaa (Guest): Your welcome.**

 **Tubafox: Honestly, I think that there isn't a right answer to the whole Randall situation. Either way would have had some kind of consequence. And it will be more discussed in this chapter.**

 **Shiori Mayonaka no Yume: Wahoo, not just me.**

 **Two Sided Heart: Thanks, I'll do my best.**

 **MOONWOLF1234: I'm glad you think so. It's hard to write Sesshōmaru for me so I'm glad that you think I did his character justice.**

 **ruka126: Well you got to have suspense. Lol.**

 **babydoll92: Awww thank you. *reads rest of review* Wait I did what? Oh man. *goes back and re-edits chapter* Thanks for pointing that out.**

 **Saricaykes: Well, I'm all about subtly. Make sure you read and find out.**

 **JustLilNay: Whew. Good, I'm glad you like it.**

 **CupcakeCannibal: Thanks, I will.**

 **Nyac Silver Fang: Can and will do.**

 **Guest (1): Sorry. It's the Walking Dead, who can help it.**

 **Guest (2): Aww that's sweet of you to say. But don't forget. I update once a month. To me that's better than once a week where I'll quickly catch up to the show and then it's up to AMC until my next chapter...Now that'd be a wait.**

 **Thank you all for your kind words. And a huge thanks to: The Queen of Water, xburner21,** **ChaosIdeals,** **NarutoSlayer,** **ladymelancholy17,** **audrastar, neverforget-3-1-07,** **vrtulka,** **Kanai16,** **kazuki12akirah,** **amy1945,** **chibineko2.5,** **Fan O' Fun,** **Hazel tree09,** **CupcakeCannibal,** **Lady Vindex,** **Nyac Silver Fang,** **gaarasdeath,** **Dustkugimiya,** **missyrox82,** **Commissar Gaunt,** **amb520,** **,** **mjkcsk, Cuud17, KyuubiKR8, MiddNightt, Intro To Fate,** **Camath, 1392,** **Yuki468,** **Yukiko17,** **BloodStone Rose,** **lshbrtn85, CatalinaVonFeuer, katyplops, Ashalennm, WhispSess, Library Ghost 01, and Pokeblackx. I couldn't do this without your support.**

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and The Walking Dead don't belong to me and they never will. *sniffle* Geez give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it while you're at it. Anyway, please no suing.

Chapter Twelve: It's Who We Are

When Rick asked Daryl to interrogate Randall to see what he knew about the farm, Kagome didn't know what to think. Rick wasn't exactly subtle on how he wanted Daryl to get the information. The priestess was fully aware that the hunter wasn't a saint, but she didn't want Daryl to be the only one that does the groups dirty work either.

'He deserves more respect than that,' Kagome reasoned as she sat with the group in front of their camp, waiting to see what Daryl had found out from Randall.

"So what ya gonna do?" Lori asked Rick, "I think we'd feel better if we knew what the plan was."

Andrea looked at Rick skeptically, "Is there a plan?"

"We gonna keep him here?" Glenn asked the former police officer.

Rick and Shane looked at each other, not knowing how to answer, before they saw Daryl coming from the barn that held Randal. "We'll know soon enough," he answered, gesturing to the hunter approaching them.

Kagome's eyes went right to Daryl's cut up and bloodied fist. 'Kami knows what Randall must look like right now.'

Daryl didn't speak till he got to the group, "Boy's got a gang. Thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't lookin' to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead...And the women will wish they were."

Sophia instinctively stepped closer to her mother in fear, while Carol looked at Daryl's bloodied hands in disapproval, "What did you do?"

"Had a little chat," Daryl answered, adjusting the crossbow on his back before heading back to his own tent.

Sesshōmaru watched Daryl's retreating form to study him. Although there was obvious disproval from some of the humans, the hunter did what was necessary to protect his pack. The demon had a silent respect for Daryl for what he'd done.

Rick cursed under his breath about what Daryl revealed before he spoke to the group, "No one goes near this guy."

Lori looked to her husband, "Rick, what are you gonna do?"

Rick took a deep breath before answering, "We have no choice...He's a threat and we have to eliminate the threat."

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked in obvious displeasure.

"It's settled," Rick decided, "I'll do it today." The sheriff walked away with Dale following behind him.

The group looked at one another, before returning to their usual tasks.

"Can I stay here with Sophia and Carl?" Souta asked his sister.

The priestess looked to the other mothers, who nodded yes. "Alright. But stay on the farm," she urged him. Souta nodded obediently before he went to sit with Sophia and Carol.

Kagome turned her gaze over at the camp she shared with Daryl before going inside Hershel's house to retrieve a few things that she'd need before speaking with the hunter.

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"What are you doing?" Sophia hissed in a whisper as she saw Carl climb the ladder to get to the top of the shed, about ten minutes after the group meeting.

"I want to see him," Carl said from the top.

Souta shook his head, "Are you crazy? This guy is dangerous."

"I just want to look," Carl said, "Keep a look out."

"Carl," Sophia called for him, but he already went inside.

Souta didn't know what to do.

Sophia looked to him for guidance, "Should we tell someone?"

The young Higurashi shrugged, as he pressed his ear up against the wall to hear what was going on inside. Sophia did the same thing, wanting to know what was happening too.

Randall spotted Carl up in the rafters and began talking to him, saying stupid unimportant things like: how he liked Carl's hat, how he liked Rick, and how lucky Carl was that he still had family.

" _Hey, I-I don't know what people been saying about me, but I didn't do nothing. I swear," Randall told Carl. "Your dad was gonna let me go till his friend started fighting with him...It got pretty bad. I-I was kinda worried."_

Souta rolled his eyes, 'I really hope Carl's not stupid enough to fall for this.'

" _My camp, we got lots of supplies," Randall continued, "You help me, I'll take you and your folks back to my people. We'll take good care of you. We'll keep you safe. You just gotta help me get out of here, okay? Please...PLEASE"_

Having heard enough, Sophia ran to the other side of the barn, "Shane! Andrea!"

Both adults saw the girl and pulled their hand guns out in alarm.

"What's wrong?" Andrea asked the blonde girl.

"Carl's inside with Randall," Sophia alerted them.

Shane was fueled with anger as he pulled the padlock off the door and slammed the door open. "What the hell are you doing here?" he yelled when he saw Carl. The former police officer turned to Randall, "What did you say to him?!" he demanded to know.

Andrea, Souta and Sophia went inside shed hearing Shane's yelling.

"I didn't say nothing," Randall tried to deny.

"He wanted Carl to let him go," Souta informed the adults.

Shane pulled out his gun, aiming it at Randall's head. "I will shoot you where you sit," he threatened before trying to force the gun into Randall's mouth.

"Shane," Andrea warned, as the children looked at the scene in horror. The former deputy continued his assault by ordering Randall to open his mouth so he could shoot him. "Not now! Shane, back off!"

It took a few moments before Shane backed away from Randall. He grabbed Carl by the arm and dragged him out of the shed. Souta and Sophia went after him while Andrea made sure Randall stayed put.

"Please don't tell my parents," Carl begged Shane.

"Carl, that ain't cool, man. You could've gotten hurt in there," Shane snapped. "Why didn't you two stop him?" he yelled at Sophia and Souta.

"We tried," Sophia tried to explain, "He wouldn't listen."

Carl glared at her, "I can handle myself."

"Shut up," Shane snapped in reply, "You do not go near Randall again. Do you hear me?" The children all nodded. "Stop trying to get yourselves killed! Go find your families, now!"

The kids ran off, no longer wanting to feel Shane's wrath.

"Why'd y'all have to tell on me?" Carl asked his friends in anger before he went into the house to find his mother.

Sophia shook her head at her friend's departure. She didn't feel bad for telling, since they possibly saved Carl's wellbeing. She and Souta were more aware of the dangers from Walkers and bad people because they've actually seen it in person. For Carl, this was all brand new to him since he had yet to see the darkness that life could offer.

"You think he'll stay mad at us?" Sophia asked Souta.

He shrugged at her, "It doesn't matter. We did the right thing."

The little blond girl nodded, knowing the young Higurashi was right. "I guess...I've never seen Shane so mad before," Sophia admitted timidly.

Her words reminded Souta of something important, "Shane can't be trusted. You need to stay away from him."

"I know," Sophia replied, "Sesshōmaru told me that too."

Souta was grateful for that, however, 'How bad is it when a demon has to warn you away from someone?'

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Daryl was sitting on his cot as he kept looking and flexing his cut up knuckles. The soreness from punching Randall so much was finally starting to affect him.

"Sumbitch deserved it," he admitted out loud.

Daryl got the information they needed for the group. He just wasn't prepared for what Randall had to confess.

When Randall admitted that his group raping a few girls, his mind thought about Kagome.

Thinking about her being subjected to those type of men made him lose his mind, making him continue to beat Randall to a pulp.

The sound of someone outside suddenly grabbed Daryl's attention.

Kagome entered the hunter's tent with a concerned look on her face, carrying a wash cloth and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Let me see your hands," the priestess ordered, kneeling down in front of him.

"M'fine," Daryl told her irritably.

Kagome glared at him in warning, telling him not to fight her in her gaze. It took a few moments before Daryl finally gave in and showed her both of his bloody knuckles. He expected her to wince away just like Carol had done when she saw them. Instead, the priestess gently held his hands to examine them, stroking the knuckles with her fingers.

"It doesn't look like you broke anything," she said while inspecting his hand, before taking the washcloth and soaking it with the rubbing alcohol. "This will sting a little," she warned him.

The hunter's face winced when the alcohol touched his skin.

Kagome gave him an apologetic glance as she continued treating his wounded knuckles. This gave her a chance to see just how much damage he had done to his fists. She could tell just by looking at them that her angel had been furious. "How bad was it?" she asked him, referring to what Randall had told him.

Daryl turned his gaze away from her in obvious discomfort of having to repeat what he heard, "He told me about his group findin' a man and his daughters...What their group did to them...They made the father watch when they," he couldn't even finish.

It took all Kagome had not to gag in disgust, "Those poor people...Was Randall apart of that?"

"Said he wasn't," Daryl said with hatred in his voice, "Could be lyin'."

Kagome gave him a look of sympathy, "You're probably right."

Daryl finally turned his gaze back to her, "You can see his soul too?"

"Yes," she said while nodding, "Randall's not sadistic, but he's very impressionable. Not someone I'd trust in situations like this...Still, he's just a boy."

The hunter couldn't help but ask his next question, "Is that how you knew you could trust me with your secret?...Readin' my soul?"

Kagome finished cleaning his wound before she answered, "It was a part of it." The priestess slowly put her hand on Daryl's chest.

The place where she could sense his soul.

The first day she met him, Kagome knew that Daryl held bitterness and anger inside of him.

But that wasn't all.

"Brave...Loyal...Protective...I felt all of it when I first met you...You're a good man, but for some reason you don't think you are." Kagome looked back up into his eyes and saw that they were full of doubt. "Even now, I can tell you don't believe me...But I see it," she said as she placed her hand on his cheek. "I see you, Tenshi." The priestess leaned up and sweetly kissed him to show that she meant every word.

The kiss was only meant to be a small peck but Daryl's hand slipped to the back of Kagome's neck to keep her in place, startling her for a moment.

Once again, the priestess told hunter exactly what he needed to hear.

At this moment, Daryl wanted Kagome more than anything else in his life.

This one pure joy in a world of death and misery.

And he wanted to keep it for as long as he could.

Kagome kissed Daryl back just as passionately and without any hesitation. She couldn't help but moan when the hunter suddenly began to suck her bottom lip. The priestess responded by lightly scraping her nails on the back of his neck.

"Do you know what you do to me, Baby Girl?" Daryl asked her, barley pulling his mouth away. Kagome didn't get a chance to reply before he devoured her mouth once more.

They had no idea who moved first, but the next thing they both knew, Daryl was on top of Kagome's body on the floor of the tent, continuing their heated make out session. Their kissing became more fueled with need with each passing moment. The hunter groaned as the priestess arched her back and moved her body to be closer to his. The action drove Daryl crazy as his hands began to explore her body. Kagome responded by tracing Daryl's muscles on his arms.

But before anything extremely intimate could be touched by either of them, they were interrupted.

"Hello?" someone called from outside the tent.

'Damn it,' Daryl and Kagome thought together as they pulled back from their kiss in frustration.

Kagome leaned up on to her elbows, "Is that Dale?" she questioned the hunter

"Yah," the hunter answered in irritation as he quickly got up to exit the tent. "What do you want?" Daryl asked Dale, obviously annoyed. "We came over here to get away from you people."

"Gonna take more than that," Dale told him, "Where's Kagome?"

"I'm here," she answered exiting Daryl's tent.

"Carol send you?" Daryl asked the old man.

Dale shook his head, "Carol's not the only one that's concerned about you, and your new role in the group."

Daryl snorted as he went to gather his new handmade bolts and crossbow. He had all this built up tension now, and needed to relive it a different way, since Dale ruined their moment.

"I don't need my head shrunk," Daryl informed him, "This group's broken. I'm better off fending for myself." It didn't need to be said that Kagome and her little brother were exceptions.

"Kagome, you can't tell me you approve of this," Dale said to the priestess, hoping she'd see reason.

"I regret what Daryl had to do Randall. But it's his decision," she admitted while folding her arms in certainty.

Dale looked at both of them shocked, "You act like you don't care."

"Casue I don't," Daryl admitted as he put on his over shirt and angel winged vest.

"And you?" Dale asked Kagome.

The priestess shrugged, "I honestly don't know...I'm conflicted"

Dale took in their words, "So live or die, you both don't care what happens to Randall?"

"Nope," Daryl answered.

"Then why not stand with me," Dale offered, "Try to save the kid's life, if it really doesn't matter one way or the other?"

Daryl snorted, "Didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch."

"Your opinion makes a difference," Dale explained, "The both of you."

Kagome shook her head, "Shane and Andrea won't care what I have to say. Lori probably won't either."

"And ain't nobody lookin' at me for nothin'," Daryl pointed out, "Besides Kagome and her brother."

"Carol and Sophia are," Dale countered, "And I am, right now. And you obviously have Rick's ear."

Daryl put his crossbow on his back, "Rick just looks to Shane. Let him."

"The both of you cared about what happened to Sophia, and what it meant to this group," Dale stated to both of them. "But torturing people," he looked to Daryl, "That isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick." Suddenly, Dale's face grew cautious, "Now Shane...he's different."

"Why?" Daryl asked, "Cause he killed Otis?"

Dale looked at the hunter in surprise, before he looked at him firmly, "He tell you that?"

"He told some story, Otis covered him to save his ass. He showed up with the dead guy's gun," Daryl told the old man. "Rick ain't stupid. If he ain't figure that out, it's cause he don't wanna." Daryl turned his back on Dale and began walking into the woods. "Like I said, this group's broken."

Kagome looked to Dale and gestured for him to stay before she followed Daryl. "When will you be back?" she asked the hunter.

"Later tonight," he answered and turned to look at her.

"Okay," she replied, sounding a little worried. Kagome wanted to know what was going through Daryl's mind but didn't wat to pressure him, especially with Dale within hearing distance. "Be safe, Tenshi," she begged him.

If Dale wasn't so close by Daryl would have kissed her goodbye, instead he just nodded and turned to the woods to hunt...And try to work off his sexual frustration.

Kagome watched the hunter leave before going over to Dale.

"Do you think you could change his mind?" Dale asked the priestess as they both headed back to the house.

Kagome shook her head, "I'm a priestess, not a miracle worker."

Dale nodded his head, figuring as much. "Can you come with me to talk to Sesshōmaru?" he suddenly asked her.

The priestess couldn't really blame Dale for wanting her there, since Sesshōmaru was quiet intimidating. "If this is about Randall, I can tell you that Sesshōmaru won't care much either," she sated honestly.

"Kagome please," Dale pleaded, "I need people with me on this. Don't you believe in second chances?"

Kagome gave an unamused heckle, "You have no idea how much."

The way she said that made Dale halt, "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

The priestess sighed, and decided to tell the old man some truth about her past. "Please keep in mind that this was a long time ago." Dale nodded with mild understanding. "When I first met Sesshōmaru, I was with his younger brother. Sesshōmaru wanted something from him, and in order to get it, he attacked me...And almost killed me."

Dale's eyes widened in surprise, "My God." The way Kagome and Sesshōmaru behaved now, you wouldn't have thought that something like that had happened in their past.

Kagome nodded, "Sesshōmaru was defiantly a different person back then. It took some time, but eventually I forgave him," she admitted to the old man. 'It helped that we had a common enemy too,' Kagome added in her head. "Now, although we may not always agree, there's no one I'd rather have fighting by our side."

"That's good to know," Dale said in relief, "What happened to Sesshōmaru's brother?" he asked curiously.

The priestess halted in her steps, causing Dale to stop too, "He-he died."

It took a few moments for Dale's eyes to widen in realization. "His brother was the man you were in love with, wasn't he?" he asked her. It took a few moments for Kagome to nod yes. "Why didn't you say something before?" Dale asked, figuring that Sesshōmaru's presence was bringing up a lot of painful memories for her.

"It happened years ago," Kagome replied, "And Sesshōmaru isn't torn up by it, either. He and his brother had never gotten along."

"Never?" Dale asked with interest.

"They were half-brothers," Kagome explained, "And Sesshōmaru wasn't exactly happy when he found out his father left his mother for another woman."

'Or that his brother was a half demon,' the priestess added in her mind.

"I see," Dale replied in mild understanding, "But, doesn't your connection with Sesshōmaru prove what I've been saying. If you believe in second chances, why not stand by me on saving Randall?"

Kagome sighed, "I don't know, Dale. Randall may not be as innocent as you think he is." Dale sighed in disappointment as he began to walk back in the house. "But for you...I'll consider giving him a chance," she finally answered him.

The old man turned to look at the priestess and gave her a grateful smile.

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A little while later, Kagome and Carol decided to take Sophia and Souta to the pond by the farm.

As they walked, Kagome got some disturbing news. "Carl did what?" she nearly yelled in disbelief.

"He went inside the shed to talk to Randall," Souta explained to her.

Kagome smacked her forehead with her hand, "Good Kami, Carl's going to cause some serious trouble if he keeps this up."

"I'm just glad that Sophia didn't follow him," Carol said gratefully.

Once they reached the pond, Souta and Sophia ran onto the dock to stick their feet in the water.

In the distance both women could see Sesshōmaru watching the two children, mainly Sophia, cautiously from his spot near the trees. This gave the priestess a chance to talk to Carol alone, "Has Dale spoken to you yet about Randall?" Kagome asked her as they stood back to let the children play.

The mother nodded, "I don't care what happens to that boy. I just want to get this over with."

Kagome couldn't help but nod, "I know what you mean."

Lately it's just been one horrible event after another.

'I don't know how much more this group can take,' Kagome thought to herself.

"So, how's Daryl?" Carol suddenly asked, wanting to change the subject.

"He didn't break his knuckles, thankfully," the priestess answered.

Carol shook her head in disproval, "How can you be okay with what he did?"

"I'm not," Kagome immediately answered, "It was Rick who asked him to do it. I didn't like it...But I can't force Daryl to not do what he thinks is right."

"But beating up a poor boy. It's immoral," Carol opinionated.

Kagome sighed, "Despite how you and I feel about it, Daryl did what he had to in order to protect us. Including you and Sophia. He doesn't need to hear our disproval when he already can't stand what Randall had to say to him."

Carol was silent for a few moments, haven't really considering that before. "Was it really that horrible?"

"Daryl didn't go into much detail...But yes," Kagome answered, hoping that would be the end of their conversation.

The sound of Sophia playfully screaming caught the women's attention. "Stop it," Sophia begged as Souta began splashing water at Sophia.

"Make me," Souta challenged, which made Sophia began to attack him with water too.

The two women were happy to see the children enjoying themselves. It was enough to make them remember how truly grateful they were to have them in their lives.

"You know Souta really cares about Sophia," Kagome told Carol.

The mother of the blond girl couldn't help but give an amused laugh, "I just got her back, and already I have to worry about boys."

This caused Kagome to laugh too.

However, on the other side of the pond, a demon gaze turned toward Souta. 'So the boy wishes to court Sophia,' he pondered to himself as he heard Sophia enjoying herself with Souta. 'He'll need to prove his worthiness.'

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It was later in the day when Daryl returned from the woods. The hunter didn't have much luck with finding anything good, but he still found plenty of squirrel and rabbits. He also managed to get rid of that pent up energy he built because of what he and Kagome had done in his tent.

Kagome was sitting at the camp writing, and waiting patiently waiting for Daryl to return. "Welcome back," Kagome said after she put her notebook down and stood up to greet him.

Daryl hung up his kills on the line, so he could gut and clean them later, before acknowledging her. "Hey," he greeted before looking at her tent, "Your brother here?"

The priestess shook her head no, "He's still at the house."

Knowing they were alone, Daryl went over and kissed Kagome tenderly. A small affection to show that he had missed her.

Kagome kissed him back with just as much affection. "We need to go to the house," she told him when Daryl pulled back from her. "Rick wants to hold a meeting about Randall."

Daryl nodded before they began to head in that direction. "Dale still wants to save the kid?"

"Yes...Can't say I disagree with his reasons," Kagome admitted.

"Bad timin' though," Daryl couldn't help but comment. Kagome nudged his shoulder as they walked, making the hunter smirk. It took a few moments for Daryl to ask the question that had been plaguing his mind all day. "If Dale hadn't come...Would you have wanted me to stop?" he asked while looking at her.

Kagome halted in her steps and blushed at the question while Daryl stopped to stand in front of her. Sure the priestess had been expecting a question like that, but it was still embarrassing to hear. Not trusting her voice, Kagome shook her head no as her answer. She wish Daryl wouldn't have stopped. "I-I really like you Daryl...And although I've never been with anyone like 'that' before...I would like to be with you...One day."

Daryl was astounded.

It was still hard to believe that this amazing and strong woman admitted that she wanted someone like him.

And now, reveling that on top of liking him, that she was a virgin. Although Kagome had loved Inuyasha so much, she never got physical with the half demon. 'But she wants to be with me?' the hunter repeated astounded, his insecurities surfacing.

"Why me?" Daryl couldn't help but ask her.

Kagome gave a shy smile, "I could ask you the same thing about me."

Daryl didn't understand her come back, 'How can she not see it?' he wondered.

"Let's gather up," Rick suddenly told everyone within hearing distance.

As much as the couple wanted to continue the conversation, reality was calling them. Both of them sighed, as they went inside the house to discuss the current threat to their group.

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The adults gathered in the sitting room of Hershel's house.

"You stay with Jimmy, okay," Kagome told Souta who nodded as he went upstairs with Sophia and Carl. The priestess noticed that Carl's cloths were now muddy, 'What has he been up to?' she wondered before shaking her head of the passing thought.

Daryl and Kagome stood near the front door as the group face each other in a circle of sorts.

Some people were standing up while others were sitting.

Sesshōmaru stood next to the front of the stairs. He sent a small glare up to the second floor when he saw Sophia and Carl trying to listen in on the conversation. One look from the demon, and the children ran back to Jimmy's room.

The group looked at one another, not sure of how to begin the conversation.

"So how do we do this?" Glenn bravely asked first, "Do we just take a vote?"

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked curiously.

"How about majority rules?" Lori suggested.

Kagome didn't see the point in that, since the look on Dale's face said that he didn't have much luck in convincing people to spare Randall's life.

Rick was thinking the same thing, "Let's just see where everybody stands. Then we'll go from there."

"Well," Shane voiced, "From where I sit, there's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him," Dale said in disgust, "I mean why even bother to take a vote. It's clear which way the wind is blowing."

Rick sighed, "If people believe that we should spare him, I want to know."

"Well I can tell you it's a small group," Dale informed, "Just me, Kagome, and Glenn."

Daryl glanced over at Kagome and gave her a 'are you kidding me' look. She glared at him, daring him to say something about it. Luckily, the hunter was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Glenn looked over to Dale regretfully, "Look, I think you're pretty much right about everything else, all the time...But this."

"They've got you scared," Dale accused the Korean boy of fearing the group's wrath.

"Randall's not one of us," Glenn argued, "We lost too many people already."

Rick looked over to Kagome, "You want Randall to live?" he asked her, wanting to know her reasons.

Kagome nodded yes, "I don't fully trust him, but I don't think we should play Kami with his life."

Shane snorted, 'Unbelievable,' he thought in annoyance.

Rick nodded at the priestess words before he turned to the demon, "What are your views?"

Sesshōmaru looked to Rick, "I do not care if the boy lives or dies. I will do what's necessary to keep Sophia safe, should the need arise."

Carol couldn't help but smile at the demon in appreciation. Sesshōmaru was more protective of her daughter then her father ever had been.

Rick looked back to the group, "Anyone else?"

When no one spoke, Dale turned to Maggie, "Do you agree with this?"

Maggie looked unsure, "Couldn't we continue to keep him prisoner?" she asked Rick.

"Just be another mouth to feed," Daryl pointed out. Since the weather was getting colder, it would mean the animals would start hibernating soon, making hunting more difficult.

Hershel nodded, "It could be a lean winter."

"We could ration better," suggested Lori.

"Well, he could be an asset," Dale pointed out. "We did it for Sesshōmaru, why not for Randall too? Give the boy a chance to prove himself."

"That was different," T-Dog spoke for the first time, "He saved Sophia, while Randall shot at our boys."

Glenn shrugged, "We could put Randall to work?"

"We're not letting him walk around," Rick said sternly.

"We can put an escort on him," Maggie suggested.

Shane rolled his eyes, "Who wants to volunteer for that duty?"

"I will," Dale said automatically.

"I will too," Kagome volunteered.

Sesshōmaru eyes shifted to the priestess, "Still like putting yourself in danger, Miko."

Kagome glared at the demon, "If you're so worried, then you do it."

"That's not my responsibility," the demon replied.

"It doesn't matter," Rick interrupted them, "I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy."

Lori nodded in agreement, "He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

Andrea snorted, "We can't exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labor."

Shane sighed, "Look, say we let him join us. Maybe he's helpful. Maybe he's nice. Maybe we let our guard down and he comes back with his thirty men."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably towards Kagome. She placed a hand on his arm to steady his rising anger.

"So we just go and kill him for a crime that he may never even attempt!" Dale continued to argue. "If we do this, there is no hope. The rules of law are dead, there is no civilization."

Shane rolled his eyes at the old man's rant.

The others were starting to consider Dale's words.

"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel suggested a solution, "Like we planned before."

"You barley came it back this time," Lori reminded Rick, "There are Walkers. You-you could break down. You could get lost."

"Or ambushed," Daryl voiced, reminding everyone of Randall's group.

Glenn nodded, "We shouldn't put our own people at risk."

"If...If you were gonna go through with it, how would you do it?" Patricia asked, speaking up for the first time. "Would he suffer?" she asked.

Kagome and Dale looked at the woman in surprise.

"We could hang him in the barn, snap his neck," Shane didn't hesitate to suggest.

Rick shook his head, "I thought of that. But shooting might be more humane."

"Well, what about the body?" T-Dog voiced, "Do we bury him or?"

"Hold on, hold on," Dale interrupted, "You're talking as if this is already decided."

Daryl shook his head, "We've been talkin' all day. We're goin around in circles. Just want to go in a circle again?" he asked Dale.

"This is young man's life, I think it's worth more than a five minute conversation!" Dale yelled, his emotions getting the better of him. He looked to the group in disbelief, "Is this what it's come to? We kills someone because we can't decide what to do with him. You saved him Rick," he pointed out to their leader. "Now look at us. Randall's been tortured, then he'll be executed. How are we any better than those people we're afraid of?"

Kagome couldn't help but agree with Dale's question. "We wouldn't be," she voiced, "Once we kill a person, there's no coming back from it...It'll just slowly eat away at us."

Shane glared at the priestess, having a feeling that she was talking about him. "We know what needs to be done," he stated to everyone.

"No, Dale and Kagome are right," Rick told his best friend, "We can't leave any stone unturned."

"So what's the other solution?" Andrea asked, "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could."

"Then let's work on it!" Dale begged.

Hearing people yelling back and forth was driving Carol crazy. "Stop it!" she snapped, "Just stop it! I'm sick of everyone arguing and fighting! I didn't ask for this! You can't ask us to make a decision like this!"

"You cannot hide from this just because it's difficult," Sesshōmaru told Carol, making her look at him in confusion. "This is something regarding Sophia's safety as well as your own. You face it and make a decision, or else your child may pay the price for your inability to face a threat."

Carol's face instantly went pale at the thought of losing Sophia.

" **Stop it, Sesshōmaru,"** Kagome urged the demon in Japanese, **"You've made your point."**

" **Have I, priestess?"** Sesshōmaru challenged her.

Carol shook her head to regain her composure before looking at the group, "Decide what you want. But leave me out of it."

"Not speaking up or killing him yourself, there's no difference," Dale told Carol.

"Alright, enough," Rick told Dale before looking at the group. "Anybody wants the floor before we make the final decision, has the chance."

Dale looked around in disappointment when no one said anything. He looked to Kagome hoping she'd say something. The priestess shrugged, since she didn't know what else to say or do.

"You once said that we don't kill the living," Dale reminded Rick.

"That was before the living tried to kill us," Rick pointed out to him.

"Humans have been killing each other for centuries," Sesshōmaru voiced to Rick, making the rest of the group stare at the demon, who were stunned by his opinion on the matter. "Don't make that your pathetic excuse now."

Kagome looked to the demon, **"And what was your excuses for the lives you've once stolen, Sesshōmaru?"** she asked him speaking in Japanese again. **"It was supreme conquest, right? Our hesitation is for the sake of our humanity. It's important to us, just like your honor is for you. Give us a chance to preserve what's left of it."**

Sesshōmaru couldn't help but smirk at Kagome, **"Now there's the priestess I remember."**

"Would you two stop doing that!" Shane snapped in annoyance, "Stick with the language we can all understand!"

The demon and priestess glared at the former police deputy. Before Sesshōmaru could make a move to punish Shane for his insolence, Kagome's holy powers spiked in warning. The demon's gaze drifted toward her in question, meeting her pleading eyes. 'Don't kill him just for being stupid,' Kagome said in her gaze.

Sesshōmaru gaze reluctantly left hers and went back to Rick's form. The demon's way of saying, 'Fine I won't...for now.'

"Anyone else?" Rick asked the others not really paying attention to the priestess and demon's exchange.

Again Dale looked at them with pleading eyes, "Don't you see? If we go through with this, the people that we were, the world that we knew, is dead...This world, it's ugly, it's harsh, it's survival of the fittest...And that's a world I don't want to live in. I don't think any of you do. I can't...Please...Let's just do what's right," he pleaded, "Isn't there anybody else who is going to stand with me?"

There was a silence in the room for a few moments.

"He's right."

Kagome looked up and was surprised to see that it was Andrea that had spoken.

"We should find another way," Andrea finished.

Dale stared at the blond woman in astonishment.

"Anyone else?" Rick asked for the final time.

When no one else spoke, Dale felt tears form in his eyes. "Are y'all gonna watch too?" he asked everyone. Again, no one spoke up. "No," he figured, "You're just going to go hide in your tents and forget that we're slaughtering a human being...But I won't be a party to it," he said before heading out the door. Dale paused to look at Daryl, "This group 'is' broken."

Both Daryl and Kagome looked to the floor, feeling guilty that they were right.

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When the adult disbanded from their meeting, Souta came down stairs and asked his sister what was going on. Kagome promised him back on the highway that she wouldn't lie about anything. If he asked her any questions about big group decisions, she would tell him.

And Souta wanted to know what was decided about Randall.

Kagome and Daryl took Souta outside to explain what the group was going to do and why they were doing it.

"Is this really what we have to do?" Souta asked, feeling completely uncomfortable with the situation. Sure he understood why, but it didn't mean he liked or wanted it to happen.

Kagome shrugged, "I don't know," she told him honestly. Even though she agreed to give Randall a chance, she didn't know what decision was the right one.

Either way their group could lose.

Souta gave a reluctant nod, "How's he gonna?"

Daryl interrupted Souta a pat on the shoulder, "Don't worry about that. We're takin' care of it, so we don't have to lookin' over our shoulder's so often."

The young Higurashi shook his head, "It still doesn't feel right."

The hunter nodded in understanding, feeling the same way, "I know."

Souta looked at both adults before glancing over to the fire by the tents. Sophia was sitting with her mother, both of them feeling uneasy about what was going to happen. Souta went over to comfort Sophia for when the time came.

Kagome gave a small smile at her brother's actions before turning to the hunter. "You don't have to do this," she told Daryl, knowing that Rick asked him for help with ending Randall's life.

"Someone else has to be there in case things get outta hand," the hunter explained to her.

The priestess nodded, "But it doesn't have to be you. We could get Sesshōmaru to do it. Kami knows he'll hold no remorse in killing a human."

"No," Daryl told her, "This is somethin' I need to do, Baby Girl."

"But why?" Kagome asked to him, still not getting his choice. This wasn't like when Rick asked Daryl to interrogate Randall the first time. And if this was people attacking their camp, it would be a different story. But having Daryl be a part of an execution was something Kagome didn't want him to do. "I want to understand why it has to be you," she stated firmly.

Daryl gave an exasperated sigh. He wasn't used to expressing what he was thinking, but the hunter was going to try his best "I have to do this...For you," Kagome raised a brow in confusion, "I need to be able to protect you...Not just from Walkers but from whoever might ever want to hurt you...I never want to see you get hurt again" he confessed to her. The hunter grew up believing that it was a man's job to protect what was theirs, especially family and the one's they cared about.

Kagome's eyes soften at Daryl's reasons for wanting to be there. "I already know you'll protect me, Tenshi...You don't have to prove anything to me," she told him. But from the determined look on Daryl's face, the priestess could tell that the hunter had made up his mind. Kagome sighed before she folded her arm and gave a reluctant nod, "Do what you feel is best."

Satisfied with that, Daryl placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her forward so their foreheads were touching each other. "Will you be here waitin' for me?" Daryl asked her, wanting to know if she'd still want him after this.

"Of course," she answered, without any room for doubt.

No matter what Kagome thought, she would be there for Daryl even if they didn't agree with how the situation was being handled. It just reminded the priestess of all the wasted time she spent on petty arguments and disagreements she had with Inuyasha. Kagome didn't want to do that with Daryl, 'Life is too short for that...Especially now.'

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The group waited by the campfire, as Rick, Shane and Daryl took Randal from the shed to the barn to execute him.

Everyone waited anxiously for the gun to go off.

After a while, as silence continued to fill the air, most of the group started to get worried.

Eventually Rick came back, with Carl in tow.

Kagome raised a brow, 'What in the world?' she thought before she went to find Daryl to find out what had happened. On instinct, she grabbed her bow and arrows that she brought from their tent. The priestess made a habit of carrying them with her whenever it got dark out.

Daryl had just finished tying a still living Randall back in the shed, when she found him.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked the hunter when she found him.

"Carl showed up," Daryl told her, irritated about what happened, "He wanted to watch us kill Randall."

Kagome's eyes widened, "He wanted to...Good Kami," she said completely baffled.

"Yah," he said just as astonished.

'What is going on with that boy?' she wondered, 'Who wants to watch their father actually kill someone?'

Suddenly, the sound of terrifying screams hit their ears.

Kagome's eyes widened in fear, 'Dale,' she identified who was screaming.

Daryl ran out the door of the shed while Kagome grabbed a nearby lantern to follow after him.

The couple could hear other group members screaming Dale's name.

After a full agonizing minute, Daryl and Kagome were able to find their friend.

"Dale!" Kagome cried at the sight before her.

A Walker had managed to tear through the old man's stomach. But for some cruel twist of fate, Dale managed to stay alive.

The hunter tackled the Walker off of Dale and jammed his knife into its head, killing it instantly.

Kagome fell to her knees next to Dale, inspecting the damage. She could see some of Dale's organs from the extensive wound that the Walker had creating. "Oh my Kami," she cried, wanting to gag by the sight and smell. Images of Sango's dead body suddenly flashed into her mind. It took all Kagome had to force those images back to focus on helping Dale.

"Help! Over here! Help us!" Daryl called out so that the others could find them.

When the group finally made it to a wounded Dale, everyone's eyes widened before they gaged at the sight.

"What the hell happened?" Shane demanded to know.

Kagome held Dale's hand in support. He could barely squeeze it back. The priestess could feel his soul weakening by the second. She tried to use her holy powers to keep the soul in place, but his body kept refusing it. This only meant one thing, 'He's not going to survive this.'

"Get Hershel," Rick ordered Glenn, who ran back to get the veterinarian.

Andrea fell next to Kagome, so she could see Dale's face. "You're going to be alright," Andrea told him, placing her hand's on his face.

Dale's eyes met the blond woman's, listening to her words while sis breath became more ragged.

When Hershel finally arrived, and saw how bad a shape Dale's wounds were, he knew it was too late. 'Theirs's no way he'll survive,' the veterinarian concluded.

"Can we move him?" Rick asked Hershel.

"He won't make the trip," Hershel answered.

"Then do it here," Rick snapped at him.

Hershel shook his head no. Everyone in the group stared at Dale with horror and pity.

They couldn't save his life.

Dale knew he was going to die, but he wished it didn't hurt so much.

"He's suffering!" Andrea cried out as she saw the pain in Dale's eyes, "Somebody do something!"

Rick hesitated before he pulled out his gun, moved Andrea aside, and aimed the gun at Dale's head. It had to be done this way, since they couldn't take the risk of Dale become a Walker. However, the former officer's hands were shaking, unable to pull the trigger.

Daryl saw this and put his hands on Rick's arm, silently asking for the gun. Rick handed it to the hunter, who accepted the weapon.

The hunter pointed the gun at Dale's head.

With whatever strength he had left in his body, Dale moved his head closer to the gun, as if asking Daryl to take his life and make the pain stop.

Tears fell down Kagome's face as she continued to hold Dale's hand.

"Sorry, brother," Daryl said to Dale before he pulled the trigger and sent a bullet through the old man's scull.

Andrea cried out in despair as Dale's body went limp.

Kagome still refused to let go of Dale's hand, even knowing that his soul was slowly dissipating. 'How could this have happened?' she thought sadly, not believing that this is what had become of tonight. Having to shoot their own friend head, instead of their potential enemy, just so he wouldn't come back.

The priestess head suddenly snapped up, 'Come back,' she repeated in realization, 'That's it,' she thought with a small glimmer of hope. "Where's Sesshōmaru?" she turned around and asked the group.

Lori looked at the priestess, confused by the question. "He stayed with Carol and the kids."

Kagome leaned up to her knees, "Sesshōmaru! Get over here! We need you!" she called out.

"What do you want, Miko?" Sesshōmaru asked, suddenly appearing next to the group.

Everyone jumped at the demons sudden appearance.

"The hell he come from?" T-Dog asked to no one in-particular.

Kagome stood up and pointed to Dale, "Please, bring him back," she pleaded, "Bring Dale back to life."

The group, minus Daryl, looked at Kagome as if she was delirious. What in the world was she saying? Is she overwhelmed by grief? Whatever it was, they didn't expect Sesshōmaru to even respond to her insane request.

"I cannot," Sesshōmaru answered the priestess, "Tenseiga will not revive him."

Kagome looked at the demon in disbelief, "What are you talking about?! It can bring back those who recently died! Dale hasn't been dead five minutes!"

The looked at one another in confusion. Were they serious?

"I said I cannot," Sesshōmaru repeated, keeping his tone emotionless.

"Why the hell not?!" Daryl demanded to know.

"Tenseiga cannot raise the dead if they've been wounded or killed by a Walker," Sesshōmaru answered, "I've already tried on more than one of Rin's descendants. They could not be saved. "

Kagome's blood went cold, "What are you saying?"

"When someone dies or is injured from a Walker, they cannot be revived," Sesshōmaru stated clearly.

The priestess tears continued to flow sown her face, "No," she whimpered in anguish. 'So if we die by the undead...That's it.'

When the demon lord first arrived, Kagome had a little comfort knowing that he had Tenseiga still with him. If someone in their group died from a sudden Walker attack, Sesshōmaru could have saved them.

And yet, the demon says it's not possible.

'So...Dale's really gone,' Kagome whimpered as she felt the last bit of his soul ascend into the afterlife.

"What are you three talking about?" Rick demanded to know from the demon, priestess, and hunter.

Instead of answering him, the priestess hands clenched in anguish. Her eyes suddenly drifted to the Walker laying close to Dale's body. With a mixture of sad and angry tears, Kagome took the bow on her shoulder and drew an arrow from her quiver.

"Hey," Shane snapped at her, not trusting her in this emotional state.

Ignoring the man, Kagome drew her bow and shot her arrow at the dead Walker's body, turning him to dust.

Everyone, minus the demon and hunter, backed away in surprise. Andrea actually stumbled backward to get away from the priestess.

Glenn was the only one brave enough to ask, "What the hell was that?!"

Kagome wiped her eyes, knowing that it was finally time to tell her story. "Let's get Dale back to the house...Then I'll tell you."

Wanting to know what was going on, Hershel sewed up Dale the best he could. This allowed the group could bring their now dead friend back to the house so they could give him a proper burial later.

Afterwards, the priestess gathered the group around the fire of their camp.

Kagome felt all eyes on her.

Everyone wanting an explanation for what they had heard tonight.

Kagome looked to Daryl nervously, unsure of how to begin. The hunter gave her an encouraging nod, as if to tell her to take her time.

Taking a deep breath to find her courage, Kagome began her tale, "It all began on my fifteenth birthday."

 ***Dodges randomly thrown object* I'm sorry! I know some of you wanted me to save Dale. And honestly I thought I could too. But then I remembered something important about the Tenseiga and a Walking Dead fact. Due to a technicality, Sesshōmaru's sword won't work. I promise it will be explained in a later chapter. But until then, tell me what you guys think? I'd love to know. Next Time: Kagome's secrets, Sesshōmaru reveals his true self, and Shane's intentions.**

 **Till Then My Readers.**


	13. Just Our Luck

**Arrows and Scars**

 **AN: Happy Holidays to All! This early chapter is my gift to all of you. May this season bring you happiness and much more.**

 **Thank you so much GreenHoneyTea, Mistress of Darkness Katana,** **KuroKat013, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Sesshiesfangirl, MOONWOLF1234, Celestial Law, yourworldismine, ashleemichelle, Arfa,** **DogDemoness108, Tubafox,** **GiggleboxGirlie, Snickering Fox,** **lifelovelaugh, Kaggie21,** **Spastic Freak,** **D Tailed, MysticWolf71891, LovelessPromise,** **Saricaykes, bloodmoon25, Guest,** **Priscila (Guest),** **urworshipfulness, and guest (Guest) for your kind reviews and even the criticism. And a huge thanks to Titania Taisho,** **befree808,** **Arfa,** **elizabethkadunce,** **AnimeluverLiz,** **ObsidianGoddess, blackkitsue,** **Kaggie21,** **ksantura,** **queenskin,** **Julia N SnowMiko,** **Bloody3lue,** **kiki638,** **Moud,** **FastlyFadingIntoDarkness,** **KismetSiren,** **dimilygarcia73, Ami-Higurashi,** **TheWhiteWolf14,** **Scykra,** **insaneoneX,** **bloodmoon25,** **SunniKing,** **PokemonNarutoLover,** **Bookworm1898,** **Piersic,** **Vrenshrrgn,** **sailorjennifer,** **nyanko1827,** **CapnJen,** **LittleAngelBlue,** **oOBlackKneazleOo,** **urworshipfulness,** **mishap, MoonlitCries,** **Tsukikora,** **nya mayaha nya, ACertainCuriousReader, and Jalayia2001. A few days ago something happened that made me very sad, but all of you have made this holiday completely awesome and cheered me right up.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Inuyasha and Walking Dead so please no suing...I got nothing else to say...Except for this: *insert crying here*

Chapter Thirteen: Just Our Luck

Everyone listened intently as Kagome told them about her adventures in the Feudal Era. From the places she'd seen, to the friends she made and the battles that they had faced together. She even explained how she met Sesshōmaru and about his vow to Rin to explain why he saved Sophia.

Kagome was only interrupted if the group had a question about her story which she always answered in a heartbeat. She even showed the group her purification powers, the same way she showed Daryl, which made believers out of most of them. The light was more visible now in the darkness, showing its true potential power as well as its beauty.

The priestess was more hesitant to show her scars to prove certain parts of her story, but she knew she had no other choice. Kagome showed the centipede demon bite that took the jewel from her body, the long sai mark that Kohaku had given her when Naraku had brainwashed him to kill her, the marks Inuyasha had left in her arms when he squeezed her with his full demon claws during their fight with Kaguya, and the marks she had received after the final battle with Naraku.

A lot of the group members gagged as the fire light shone on the massive amounts of scratches and old wounds on the priestess back. They couldn't even fathom someone even surviving so much blood shed and violence in their lives.

"After I was well enough to travel, I said my good byes and went home," Kagome finished telling everyone about her past.

Souta vocally winced, "She scared me and our mother when she crawled out of the Bone Eaters Well that day," he admitted to everyone. "She was all bruised and cut up almost everywhere. We had to take her to the hospital after that just to make sure there was no permeant damage."

No one noticed how Kagome's body flinched at the words permeant damage. There was still a few things she couldn't talk about yet, and that was one of them. She glanced over at the hunter for a moment and shook her head. 'I can't talk about that now...Not yet.'

Shane looked around the camp, noticing everyone absorbing every word and snorted. "Oh come on people. You can't tell me you actually believe this bullshit story of hers just because of her scars and her trick of a light show."

T-Dog couldn't help but shrug, "It does sound a little farfetched," he admitted to the priestess.

Kagome sighed, hoping it wouldn't have had to come to this. She slowly turned to Sesshōmaru, "Show them," she encouraged to the demon, who raised a brow. "Show them what you are...Just don't scare them."

Shane looked at the so called demon unaffectedly, "Ohh," he said mockingly, "It's the big bad demon coming to get us. What'cha gonna do? Use your 'poisonous claws' on me. Because I'd really."

Sesshōmaru interrupted the former police officer by using his demon speed and wrapping his fingers around the human's throat, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.

Most of the adults stood up and backed away from the demon, while Rick and Daryl pointed their weapons on Sesshōmaru. Carl held onto his mother in fear, while Sophia and Souta looked at the demon in amazement.

Kagome rolled her eyes and shook her head at the demon lord's actions, 'Of course he wouldn't listen.'

Shane struggled as he was being chocked while moving his feet, trying to touch the ground again.

"I wouldn't mock my power if I were you, human," Sesshōmaru growled at Shane. To prove his point even further, the demon lowered his glamour to show his demonic features. His usual golden eyes were now blue irises surrounded by blood red pupils, his normal teeth had now become sharp fangs, and sudden markings appeared on his face while his hair became long and turned silver. "Unless you wish to die," he threatened in his demonic voice.

Instead of answering, Shane reached over and managed to grab the hilt of Sesshōmaru's sword and jabbed it into the demon's mid-section.

Sesshōmaru wasn't fazed the slightest, as his grip tightened around Shane's neck, "Pathetic."

Kagome shook her head at the whole situation, "Alright Sesshōmaru, that's enough," she told her demon friend sternly, "I think everyone believes us now."

"And then some," Hershel quickly added, still processing what he was witnessing.

The demon didn't release Shane.

"Please let him go," Sophia told the demon softly.

At Sophia's request, Sesshōmaru released Shane from his grip, causing him to collapse on the ground. The former deputy coughed as he tried to get air back into his lungs.

Beth looked at the demon with fear, "Are you-Are you gonna hurt us?"

"He wouldn't do that," Sophia answered for Sesshōmaru.

Carol looked from her daughter to the demon. The woman knew that rationally she should be terrified of Sesshōmaru. But this was still the same being, the same man, who had protected and saved her daughter. Because of that, Carol trusted him more than she ever trusted her own husband. "She's right...He won't," she agreed with Sophia.

Rick, who lowered his weapon, after Shane was released, before looking over to Kagome and Sesshōmaru. A part of him was grateful that they had such strong allies at their side, while the other half was angry that they'd been untruthful to the group. Rick took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh before he spoke, "I understand why you didn't tell us who y'all were...What y'all were. But that doesn't change the fact that you've been lying to us."

"We didn't lie," Kagome interrupted, "We just didn't tell you the full truth."

"Same difference," Rick argued before looking to Daryl, "And you should have said something when you found out."

Daryl snorted, "Like you would've believed it."

Rick sighed, knowing the hunter had a point. Not fully sure how to handle a situation like this, he turned to the rest of the group, "What do y'all think? Do you want Kagome and Sesshōmaru to stay with us?"

Every single group member, minus Daryl, Souta, and Shane, thought back to all the times that the two individuals in question had helped them during their struggles. Sure, they saw them both in a different way now, but that didn't change all the good they've done for this group.

Eventually almost everyone nodded yes.

Shane mentally cursed in his head, 'This is bullshit. These people are probably going to kill us in our sleep.'

Rick took in the group's decision and nodded, "It looks like you two can stay. But no more lying... And no more of that," he pointed to Shane's still collapsed form, as he spoke directly to Sesshōmaru during that last part.

The demon made no move to answer Rick.

"Sesshōmaru," Kagome scolded the demon, warning him to not start trouble. "If you want to protect Sophia, you need to agree to this."

The dog demon quickly glanced towards the priestess before looking back at Rick. "Fine," he said before turning away and heading toward the woods, "I will stand guard...You humans have been through enough tonight."

Before he went too far, Glenn called out for the demon, "Umm dude," the Korean pointed to the Tenseiga which was still in Sesshōmaru's body.

Realizing this, Sesshōmaru pulled out his sword without crying out in pain or showing any discomfort, and without a drop of blood spilling from his wound. He gave Glenn a nod in thanks before sheathing his sword and continued to walk so he could patrol the farm.

"Jesus," Maggie said surprised at what they just witnessed as the demon disappeared into the night.

Hershel looked to Kagome, "Will he be alright?" he asked, wondering if Sesshōmaru's wounds needed tending.

Kagome nodded, "That sword won't hurt him. I told you that Tenseiga is blade that can't cut the living. Especially not its master. Tenseiga only kills the living dead."

Sophia's eyes widened in realization, "So that's why he never had to aim for the brain when he killed a Walker," she voiced, "No matter how he cut them, they'd just die."

"Wow," Carl said in amazement, while the adults nodded in agreement.

Rick gave an unamused laugh, "Glad he's on our side then."

Shane glared out the door where the demon disappeared, 'For now,' he thought bitterly.

"He's not," Kagome corrected him, "Sesshōmaru is on whatever side Sophia's on," she gestured to the little girl with the smile.

Sophia smiled back.

"Wait a minute," T-Dog spoke up realizing something, "Didn't you say that Sesshōmaru lost an arm from a fight with Inuyasha?" Kagome nodded yes to his question. "But he has two arms now," he said in confusion.

The priestess looked back towards the direction Sesshōmaru had left, not really noticing that fact. "Huh, he must have grown it back," Kagome figured, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. This made a few members of the group question the priestess' sanity, "What?" she asked, not knowing why they were looking at her like that.

Daryl couldn't help but hide his smirk at the looks on everyone's faces from Kagome's response.

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Early the next morning, while Daryl, Rick and Shane made a grave for Dale, everyone probed Kagome with more questions about her past adventures.

Some of them had to look at the priestess in a new light, since she was more of a survivor then any of them combined.

Kagome answered their questions to the best of her ability, since there were a few things in her past that was hard to talk about out loud. Still, it was nice to finally have the burden of her past off her shoulders.

As the sun eventually raised over the Green's farm, the group finally put Dale in his resting place and held a small service in his memory. After Hershel recited a verse from the bible, it was Rick's turn to say a few words.

"Dale could," he began, "He could get under your skin...He sure got under mind. Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought...How he felt."

Souta leaned his he head down on his sister's arm, as Sophia held his hand as she stood next to her mother.

Kagome had to wipe a tear that escaped her eye and fell down her cheek. When she put it back down, she was surprised to feel someone's fingers wrap around hers. Kagome looked up to Daryl as he stood next to her, his eyes never leaving Dale's grave as his fingers squeezed her hand.

"That kind of honesty is rare and brave," Rick continued, "Whenever I made a decision, I'd look at Dale. He look back at me with that look he had...We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us, the truth of who we really are...In the end, he was talking about us losing our humanity...He said this group was broken...The best way to honor him is to un-break it. Set aside our differences, and pull together. To stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives. Our safety. Our future...We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're going to do things his way...That is how we honor Dale."

Almost everyone nodded in agreement.

They were going to try and be a better group and better people from this point forward.

Because that's what Dale would have wanted.

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After Dale's funeral, Rick had a discussion with Hershel, who finally agreed to let everyone move into the house since the nights were getting colder.

When Rick told the group of their move, Kagome and Daryl went to their camp to pack their belongings.

"Are you sure it's not in the motorcycle bag?" the priestess asked as she looked around Daryl's tent while simultaneously packing everything up.

"Positive," he replied, while looking through his stuff, "You didn't mess with it?"

Kagome shook her head, "You know I hate guns, why would I touch yours?"

"What about Souta?" Daryl asked her.

"He knows better than that," she assured him.

Daryl cursed under his breath, "Then where the hell is it?"

"I don't know, but we'll find it," Kagome told him, "It's not like it could get up and walk away."

Finally giving up, Daryl sighed, "Whatever. I've got to meet the others anyway. Gonna check the outer perimeter of the farm."

Kagome nodded, "Whose all going?"

"Me, Andrea, T-Dog...and Shane," Daryl answered her.

At hearing the former police officer's name, Kagome stopped in her task to stand in front of Daryl, "Please be careful around him."

"Don't have to tell me," he assured her, before wrapping a hand around the back of her head to kiss Kagome's forehead.

Kagome smiled at the contact before speaking again, "What you did last night...For Dale...That was incredibly brave, Tenshi."

Daryl's eyes went to the ground, "Didn't want him to suffer no more," he said simply.

The priestess placed her hand on his cheek, which made Daryl look up, before she kissed his lips. The hunter responded eagerly before they eventually pulled back. "Watch yourself out there," Kagome urged him.

"I will," he promised her.

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Later that day, everyone was using their cars to move their belongings into the Green's house and to bring the supplies to make the house a more defensive position.

"Eighteen people in one house. It's gonna be tight," Rick voiced to Hershel.

"Don't even worry about that," the veterinarian assured their appointed leader.

"I will not be inside," Sesshōmaru informed them. "I don't require as much sleep and meals as you humans do."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she unloaded one of the trucks and began handing them to her brother and Sophia. "Yeah, yeah. Demons are stronger and superior than humans. We get it. But at least we smell better then you, Lord Fluffy," she commented to the demon.

Souta and Sophia couldn't help but giggle at the demon's nickname.

Sesshōmaru glared at the priestess, "You watch to who you're speaking to, Miko."

"Then be nice," Kagome countered to him. "You need to get used to making friends with this group if you're going to stay."

The demon was silent for a few moments, "I cannot promise such a thing," he replied in honesty before going back to walk the perimeter once more.

Rick looked from the retreating demon to the priestess, "Are you sure he's more stable now than he was in the past?" he asked the miko in disbelief.

"Shane's alive and breathing isn't he," Kagome pointed out before leading her brother and Sophia back to the house to put away their stuff.

Rick gave a small unamused chuckle before turning back to give his orders to the rest of the group.

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A short while later, Souta and Sophia just finished unloading their belongings.

"We got the rest," Carol told them, "You two can go out and play. But stay in the front yard."

The two nodded before heading outside.

"How come you never told me about your sister?" Sophia asked when they walked off the porch and over to the barn.

"I promised her I wouldn't," Souta told her, "And I don't like remembering the day she came home for good."

Sophia looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"

Souta shrugged, "At first, it was like my sister was some kind of awesome hero for fighting monsters...But it didn't really hit till the last day she came home that we could have lost her for good."

The blond girl nodded, "Well, I'm glad she's still with us...Who knows what could have happened without her here."

Suddenly, the sound of sniffling caught both their ears.

Carl was sitting next to the chicken coop. The sounds of their clucking, was hiding his sobs.

"Carl?" Sophia went over and sat next to her friend.

"What's wrong?" Souta asked, wondering why Carl was this upset.

The Grimes sniffled a few more times before he answered, "Dale."

Sophia put a supporting hand on Carl's shoulder, "We miss him too."

Carl shook his head, "No...Dale...It's my fault he's dead."

Souta looked at his friend in confusion, "Carl, Dale died because of a Walker."

"I saw that Walker in the woods yesterday," Carl managed to say, while wiping his eyes. "That exact same one...If I had taken it down...Dale would still be here."

"Take it down?" Sophia asked, "How? It's not like you had a gun or anything."

Carl was silent for a few moment before hesitantly took out a gun.

Daryl's gun.

"You stole a gun," Souta blurted out in disbelief.

"Please don't tell," Carl begged his friends, "Not again. Please, if Daryl finds out I took this, he'll kill me."

Every sane thought Souta had wanted him to run to his sister and tell her what happened. But after the way Sophia was looking at Carl then back to him, he knew this was what best friends needed to do for each other.

"Fine," Souta finally replied, "We won't say anything."

"But maybe you should," Sophia suggested instead.

Carl shook his head, "My parents are going to be so angry with me."

Souta sat down next to his friend, "Sometimes parents yell...But they're not gonna stop loving you or anything."

They young Grimes looked at the young Higurashi, "I know but...But how can they forgive me after what I did?"

"They will," Sophia assured him, "They're your parents, it's what they're supposed to do."

After a few more minutes, Carl finally got the courage to say he'll tell an adult what had happened. But he wasn't brave enough to face his parents yet

So instead, Carl was going to the one person he still trusted.

Shane.

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The day went on as the group organized the house and the sleeping arrangements. The Grimes would have the master bedroom, Beth and Patricia would share a room, Hershel took the coach in the living room, Glenn and Maggie were going to share her room since they were growing closer in their relationship, and everyone else took spots on the floor of the living room and dining room.

Some of the men boarded the bottom stair windows, just so Walker's wouldn't see them or try to break through the glass.

Meanwhile, Rick and Daryl planned on where they would leave Randall this time. After what happened with Shane, Rick didn't fully trust being alone with his best friend again.

Andrea and Glenn moved the cars and the RV close to the house just in case they had to make a quick getaway.

Hershel stocked up his basement with provisions just in case a herd came through.

In the survivor's minds, they were prepared for anything.

Almost anything.

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"Here you go," Kagome handed a backpack to Daryl, who was getting Hershel's truck ready to transport Randall. "Everything Randall should need to last a few days on his own."

"You should take this too," said T-Dog, who followed Kagome outside. He handed a familiar hand gun to Daryl.

The hunter inspected the weapon for a moment, "Was this Dale's?"

T-Dog nodded, "You only have so many arrows."

Daryl nodded and put the gun behind his back to store it, "Wish I knew where the hell mine was," he muttered, referring to his own gun.

Rick came up to the truck and heard the end of the conversation, "I need to talk to the both of you about that," he said to Daryl and Kagome before looking to T-Dog. "Why don't you go grab the package?" he suggested, referring to Randall.

"Gladly," said T-Dog as he walked towards the shed, "Let's make this a distant memory."

Once T-Dog was gone, Rick looked to the hunter and the priestess hesitantly, since he knew what Shane and Carl had told him was going cause some issues. "Carl was the one who took your gun," he told Daryl.

The hunter glared at their group leader, "He did what?" he snapped.

Kagome looked just as upset, "Why would he do that?"

Rick shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure. But trust me he feels bad enough...He found that Walker that had killed Dale before he got to the farm last night."

Daryl cursed under his breath.

The priestess quickly figured out how Carl must be feeling, and felt bad for him. "Is he blaming himself for what happened to Dale?"

Their leader nodded.

Daryl sighed, still feeling irritated that the young Grimes stole his gun.

"I talked to him," Rick assured the both of them, "And I hope I'm not out of line, but I let him keep the gun."

The hunter snorted, "Do I gotta choice?'

"Guys!" T-Dog ran back to them, "Randall's gone!"

"What?!" the three of them yelled.

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The entire group ran out to the shed.

The door still had the padlock locked, according to T-Dog, but somehow Randall slipped out of the handcuffs and escaped. The bloody handcuffs was the only thing their prisoner left behind.

The men inspected the shed, completely baffled.

"How did he get out?" Kagome asked, she had her brother next to her, refusing to let him leave her side. 'Randall could be anywhere,' she told herself.

"He slipped the cuffs off," Rick informed to everyone.

Carol gaped as she held Sophia close to her, "Is that possible?"

"It is if you got nothing to lose," Andrea stated to her.

Kagome looked over to Daryl and Sesshōmaru, "Can the two of you track him?"

The demon took a sniff in the air, "The blood's still fresh. He'll be easy to find."

"Just point me in the right direction," Daryl told the demon.

Before Sesshōmaru could respond to the hunter, his demonic senses picked up something else. "Wait...I smell more blood."

"More blood?" Lori asked in confusion.

Kagome looked around their group and noticed a certain individual was missing.

Shane.

'He couldn't be involved in this...Could he?' Kagome thought in fear.

"Can you tell who it is?" Hershel asked the demon.

Sesshōmaru sniffed the air again, "It's coming from," he looked to a direction in the woods, "There. And it's coming closer."

Not a moment later, Shane came out of the woods, with blood coming down his face.

"Rick!" Shane stormed towards the group. "He's armed! He took my gun!"

"Are you okay?" Carl asked the man worried.

"I'm fine," Shane snapped, "The little bastard snuck up on me and knocked me in the face."

Sesshōmaru glared at the human approaching them. The demon could easily smell Shane's lie. 'What is this human up to?' he thought briefly.

Kagome and Daryl looked at each other just as wary and confused.

Rick to his injured best friend, "Okay. Andrea, T-Dog, Sesshōmaru, Kagome, you guys stay here and guard the others in the house. Daryl, Glenn and I will go with Shane to find Randall."

"What about Sesshōmaru tracking Randall?" Glenn voiced, figuring that be smarter plan.

Their leader shook his head, "If Randall got back to his people and leads them here, then he needs to be here to protect the rest of our group."

Carol began to panic, "Shouldn't we just let Randall go? That was the plan wasn't it?"

"Yeah, far away from here, not on our front step with a gun," Rick reasoned.

"But you don't know what could happen out there," Carol said with worry.

Kagome looked at Daryl begging him with her eyes to be careful. The hunter nodded before heading to the group.

As Daryl passed Sesshōmaru, the demon spoke lowly "Be wary of Shane. He's lying about what happened."

Daryl looked towards the demon and nodded in understanding. He already knew something wasn't right about Shane's story. 'Now we just got to figure out what he's up to.'

"Everyone else get in the house," Rick ordered everyone.

Sesshōmaru stepped away from Daryl towards Sophia. "Let's go, Sophia," he told the girl.

The young blond nodded as she watched the group of men go out into the woods. 'Please let them be okay out there,' she prayed.

Carol noticed this and ran her fingers through her daughter's hair as they went back inside, "It'll be okay, sweetie. I promise."

Kagome put her arm around her brother and led him towards the house.

"What was Shane doing in the woods?" Souta asked his sister.

The priestess looked to her brother, "What do you mean?"

"He had to be in the woods if Randall snuck up on him. So what was he doing there?" Souta asked more specifically.

Kagome couldn't help but be proud of her brother's question. "I'm glad Daryl's teaching you how to be observant...Something's definitely going on." The priestess pondered what in the world Shane could be up to, 'Kamis protect our family from whatever Shane is scheming.'

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It was now night the Green's farm. Everyone inside the house began to worry about what happened to their friends on the hunt for Randall.

Carl, Sophia and Souta were upstairs in the master bed room. The young Grimes was looking out the window with his binoculars.

"See anything?" Sophia asked her friend nervously from the bed. She and Souta were playing cards to pass the time.

Carl shook his head in disappointment, "Nothing...I hope my dad and Shane are okay."

Souta rolled his eyes, "If I were you, I'd be more worried about your dad."

The young Grimes turned to his friend, "What are you talking about?"

"Randall didn't slip out of the cuffs or escaped from a still locked room. And Shane is the only one who saw Randall last. That's a pretty big coincidence," Souta voiced out.

Sophia tilted her head in confusion, "You think Shane let Randall go?"

Souta shrugged, "How else could he have gotten free?"

"You're wrong," Carl snapped at his friend, "Shane wouldn't do that."

Souta glared at his friend, "For Kami sake, when are you going to wake up and realize that something isn't right with Shane. He's the same guy who attacked your dad when we tried to get rid of Randall the first time."

"That was Walkers, you idiot," Carl argued.

"They got attacked by Walkers AFTER they started fighting," Souta yelled back. "My sister told me what Rick had told the rest of the adults. Shane and Rick fought each other after they realized Randall knew where the farm was...Shane was willing to kill your dad, Carl. Just like he did with Otis."

Carl was silent for a few moments, letting the information sink in.

"Sh-Shane didn't kill Otis," Carl said unconvincingly.

"Yes he did," Sophia said to him. "I heard Lori and Dale talk about it when he was trying to convince her to keep Randall alive."

Carl shook his head in denial, "No. You're both wrong. And I'm gonna prove it," he said before storming out of the room.

Souta and Sophia looked at each other, "You don't think he'll do something stupid, do you?" Sophia asked him.

"I hope not," Souta replied.

Their prayers weren't answered, since Carl had managed to already sneak out of the house. He was going to find his father and his father's best friend, and prove that Shane was a good guy.

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Time continued to pass.

The group the members in the house were on edge after they heard gunshots in the distance.

But their missing members had not yet returned.

Kagome was sitting on the couch in the sitting room with a distraught look on her face. Her fingers were running through her hair nervously, 'Daryl where are you?' Carol reached over and squeezed the priestess shoulder encouragingly.

Andrea shook her head, finally having enough. "I'm going after them," she stated as she stood up, ready to head out the door.

"Don't," Lori told the blond woman, "They could be anywhere. And if Randall comes back, we're going to need you."

Andrea looked at Lori in surprise. This was the first time that Lori admitted that they needed her for something besides chores.

Sesshōmaru was leaned against the wall, his arms folded and his eyes closed. He was using his demonic senses to pick up what was going on outside. "Daryl and Glenn are returning," he stated, with his eyes still closed. He couldn't put his finger on it, but his senses were picking up on something else as well.

"Oh thank God," Maggie muttered in relief.

Kagome let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding and stood up.

Daryl and Glenn stormed through the front door. The hunter's eyes went instantly towards the priestess before looking around the room. "Rick and Shane ain't back? We heard a shot."

"Maybe they found Randall," Lori suggested.

The hunter shook his head, "No. We found Randall."

"Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asked them.

"He's a Walker," Daryl told them.

The group members looked at one another not knowing what to think. They wanted Randall out of their lives, but not like that.

"Did you find the Walker that bit him?" Hershel asked the hunter.

Glenn shook his head, "That's the weird thing. Randall wasn't bit."

Kagome's eyes widened, 'He wasn't bit. But he became a Walker...How?' she wondered in worry.

"When we found Randall, his neck was broke," Daryl explained.

"So he fought back," Patricia figured, her opinion sounding mildly convinced.

That wasn't what was bothering Daryl, "The thing is, Randall and Shane's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker, so Randall didn't sneak up on him like he said...They were together."

Kagome cursed under her breath, "Damn it, I knew Shane had something to do with this."

"We don't know that for sure," Andrea tried to defend the man.

Lori didn't even bother to defend Shane, fearing that what the priestess said could be true. "Would you please go back out there and find Rick and Shane, and find out what on earth is going on?" Lori begged the hunter.

Daryl nodded, "You got it," he answered before he gestured for Kagome to follow him. It was hard tracking in the dark, and he figured her ability to sense living souls might help him, especially if they found Shane without Rick with him.

Kagome nodded in understanding before she went to follow him.

Suddenly, the priestess stopped when a demon's hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder roughly.

Daryl and the others turned to Sesshōmaru after his sudden action.

"What is it?" Kagome asked the demon.

Sesshōmaru opened his eyes before he answered, caution drawn on his face, "I smell rotting corpses."

Carol and Patricia gasped in fear.

"How many?" T-Dog asked, a little afraid of the answer.

The demon turned to the group his mood remaining wary, "Too many for you humans."

Daryl, Kagome, Andrea, and Glenn all ran outside, with their weapons to see what Sesshōmaru was talking about.

Their eyes widened at the enormous herd of Walker's coming out of the woods and towards the farm.

The demon was right.

There were too many Walkers for them to handle.

Everyone else in the house, besides Lori who ran to get the kids, came out and saw the herd.

"Oh shit," T-Dog muttered.

"Patricia, kill the lights," Hershel ordered.

"I'll go get the guns," Andrea said, before heading back inside to grab the gun bag.

As the blond woman left, Kagome shook her head, "They've already seen the lights. And turning them off will only draw them closer."

"Maybe they'll just pass through," Glenn suggested, "Like the ones on the highway did. We should go back inside."

"Unless there's a tunnel under the house I don't know about, a herd that size will tear the house apart," Daryl stated.

Lori suddenly came outside with Souta and Sophia in tow. "Carl's not inside," she said in a panic.

"What?" Carol, Daryl and Kagome yelled at once.

"He left us a while ago. We didn't know he left the house," Sophia admitted, feeling incredibly guilty about Carl being in potential danger.

Andrea returned with the bag of guns. Once she placed it down, Maggie grabbed a shot gun and cocked it.

"Maggie?" Glenn said in surprise.

"You grow up country, you pick up a thing or two," explained the farmer's daughter.

Daryl shook his head, "The guns won't make a difference."

Souta looked at the herd of Walkers before looking to his sister, "Kagome can't you put up a barrier?"

"Ye-yes," she answered, remembering that technique she hadn't used in years, "Miroku taught me how." The priestess quickly thanked her perverted ancestor for teaching her how to use her priestess powers.

"A barrier?" Glenn questioned in confusion.

"It's what priestess can create to protect humans and purify demons," Kagome briefly explained.

The adults looked from the young Higurashi to Kagome with hope in their eyes.

"Would this barrier of yours kill the Walkers?" Hershel asked the priestess, recalling what she'd told them.

Kagome shook her head, "No. But a barrier can slow them down." Everyone looked at her confused. "My barriers can keep things out, but not in. I can halt the Walker's long enough for all of you to take them down and get out of here," she quickly explained.

"I'm not leaving without my son," Lori stated to everyone.

"We won't," Carol told her before grabbing her hand and going inside the house to search for the boy.

Hershel grabbed a gun from the gun bag, "You can go if you want."

Daryl raised a brow at the farmer, "You gonna take them all on?"

"We have guns and we have cars. Plus Kagome can make sure they don't get too close to the house," Hershel pointed out.

Andrea nodded, understanding the plan. "Take out as many as we can and use the cars to lead the rest off the farm."

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked them, not thinking it'll work.

"This is my farm, I'll die here" Hershel stated with pride.

The hunter looked at the priestess with slight worry in his eyes.

"It's worth a shot," Kagome told him.

Daryl sighed in defeat, "Alright...Tonight's a good a night as any."

Kagome nodded before looking at the others, "It's been a few years since I've done this, so I don't know how long I can keep the barrier up. So all of you better work fast."

"Plan to," sad T-Dog grabbing a gun, as the other's left to get on their vehicles.

Before Daryl left, Kagome grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "Be careful."

The hunter nodded, as he left to get on his motorcycle.

"This may not work," Sesshōmaru informed Kagome after most of the group had left. "What will you do if this plan fails, Miko?"

As much as Kagome hated to admit it, the demon had a point.

What would happen if they couldn't take care of this many Walkers?

Taking a few moments to think it over, Kagome looked over to her little brother and Sophia.

No matter how tonight turned out, Souta and Sophia's safety were the top priority.

They were the future of this world.

The priestess struggled with her decision, but knew that it was the best one.

"Take Souta and Sophia, and get them away from here," Kagome told Sesshōmaru. The children immediately protested the priestess' request. Kagome didn't respond to their cries, "You're fast enough to get pass all these Walkers even with the both of them. If we fail tonight, you're Souta and Sophia's best chance for survival."

"Kagome no," Souta begged his sister not to do this.

Doing her best to ignore her brother's eyes and the pain in her heart she continued, "You need to go now before I put up the barrier. It may not kill you, but it can't seriously hurt you."

The demon didn't move, making sure that Kagome knew exactly what she was asking him. But by the determination in her eyes, she was dead serious.

Sophia shook her head, "I don't want to leave," she told Sesshōmaru, who was avoiding her objections as well. This scared the little girl more than the Walkers coming towards them.

"Go now!" Kagome ordered the demon before she could change her mind.

On her command, Sesshōmaru scooped up both children under each arm and used his demon speed to quickly leave the farm. Kagome could still hear Sophia's and Souta's protests as the demon left.

Hershel placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder, "That was a brave thing you just did."

The priestess nodded, trying her best to keep her little brother's cries out of her head. "Let's do this," she told him before taking her spot at the front of the house. Kagome stood her ground as she raised her hands in front of her and tapped into her holy powers to form a barrier around the farm.

Hershel walked up in front of her and saw a purple colored shield that covered his home.

Walkers came to the barrier and pressed against it, unable to get through. The priestess winced as the number of Walker's increased on the barrier, "Please work," she whimpered a silent prayer for everyone who was in their vehicles trying to take down the Walkers.

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Kagome watched as Hershel shot his rifle at the Walkers that were already pilling up on her barrier. She could also hear the sounds of multiple gun shots as the others took down the Walker's outside the barrier.

Suddenly, the barn was set on fire, catching some of the Walker's attention. Some of the undead left the barrier to walk towards the barn.

'It's still not enough,' Kagome mentally winced as she concentrated on keeping the barrier up as the Walker's continued to march forward.

Their plan wasn't working.

There were just too many Walkers.

"He isn't in the house. Why couldn't he just listen for once?" the priestess heard Lori say in frustration behind her.

Carol looked around frantically outside, "Where's Sophia?" she asked in a panic.

"Sesshōmaru took her and Souta away from here," Kagome managed to tell her from her distressed position, "You have to go now. I can't keep this barrier up for much longer," Her powers were draining far more quickly then she thought. It had been too long since she'd used this much holy energy at once like this. She could feel her entire body sweating as a side effect.

Carol gave a sigh in relief that her daughter was somewhere safe. "Lori we have to go," she told Mrs. Grimes.

"That's my boy!" Lori snapped in protest.

"Carl probably went off to find Rick, you have to trust that they'll find each other," Carol tried to convince her.

Lori was still spectacle, "Bu-but."

"Your son is alive! And he's going to need his mother!" Carol finally snapped.

Her harsh words were enough to make Lori agree, "Get Patricia and Beth," she told Carol. When the older woman left, Lori looked outside trying to see if she could spot her son, "CARL!"

"Lori!" Kagome turned her head to look at Rick's wife, "It's now or never!"

Lori looked at the priestess and nodded, "Hershel we got to go!"

The farmer didn't move from his spot as he continued to shoot at the Walkers. Realizing that he nor Kagome were going to move, the woman left to the other side of the house.

The sound of honking from a truck, being driven by T-Dog, was a signal for Kagome to drop her barrier so they could get in. The priestess lowered her barrier long enough for the car to get through, until putting it up again.

Unfortunately, a few Walkers had made it inside the barrier. **"Damn it,"** Kagome cursed in Japanese.

Hershel aimed at the Walkers closest and started taking them out one by one.

"He-Hershel," Kagome said weakly as she fell to her knees, feeling weaker by the second. "I can't hold it up anymore."

"Keep trying," Hershel urged her.

Walker's continued to come in their direction.

Too many for Hershel to handle alone.

"I'm sorry," Kagome told him as she dropped the barrier, drew an arrow from her quiver and began firing at the upcoming Walkers' heads. Her aim was a little off since her body was shacking from being so weak. Still, Kagome shakily stood up on her feet and continued firing her arrows.

"Come on!" Hershel yelled at the Walkers as he and Kagome began retreating backwards from the upcoming herd. "Come on!" he yelled again before he went to reload his rifle.

Kagome kept shooting, before realizing that she was going to run out of arrows soon. 'I only have five more left,' she thought in a panic.

With both of them distracted, neither of them saw the Walker coming up quietly behind him.

Before the female Walker grabbed onto the farmer or priestess, Rick came up behind them, with Carl in tow, and shot the Walker in the head.

Hershel and Kagome turned around, startled by the shot.

"Rick your here," she identified in relief, "And Carl, thank Kami."

"Where's Lori?" Rick demanded to know, "Did either of you see her?"

Hershel ignored the question, "Kagome couldn't do it Rick. She couldn't keep them back and now they just keep on coming. It's like a plague, they're everywhere."

"Where's Lori?!" Rick shouted.

"Lori got out," Kagome answered Rick before shooting a Walker coming too close towards them, "I think she's with T-Dog."

Rick nodded, in slight relief, "We gotta go. We got to find the others."

"It's my farm!" Hershel cried out.

"Not anymore!" Rick yelled back as he grabbed Hershel and dragged him to the last remaing vehicle.

Kagome grabbed Carl's hand and kept him close to her. Using what little holy power she had left she created a barrier around her and the boy. This was her last chance to protect a member of her new family.

Rick shot at a few approaching Walker's as he opened the driver's side door of the car, "Come on," he urged his son and the priestess.

Kagome opened the passenger front door and finally dropped her barrier. "Get in," she told Carl, who hoped inside before closing the door. "Hershel!" she called out to the farmer who was still fighting the Walker. "Hershel we have to go now!"

The famer finally gave up fighting and ran to the car. Kagome opened the door and slid to the other side, allowing Hershel room to get in.

Once Hershel closed the door, Rick started the car and drove off as fast as he could off the farm.

Finally being able to let her guard down, Kagome rested her head on the window of the car. She looked at the countless Walkers, the farm shrinking as they drove away, and the barn that was still burning.

As the chaos continued to fill her eyes, only one thing was on Kagome mind. 'Daryl' she thought before passing out from exhaustion of using so much holy energy.

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Sitting on his motorcycle, Daryl watched as the barn continued to burn.

It was all gone now, he knew that.

The farm.

Their supposed safe haven.

Their home...It was gone.

And by the way the Walkers were making their way towards the house, he knew Kagome's barrier was down.

'Where is she?' the hunter thought in an inward panic.

Before he could drive to the house to see if he could find Kagome, a female scream hit his ears.

'Carol,' he quickly identified.

Carol's terrified screams were coming towards him as she ran, unarmed, from Walker's that were coming after her.

Daryl drove up on his bike for Carol to hop on the back, "Come on, don't got all day!"

Carol whimpered as she got on the back of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Once she was secure, Daryl drove off the farm.

Even though his heart was screaming for him to turn around and find Kagome, he knew that he and Carol had to get far from the farm as they could.

Daryl had never prayed before in his life, but at that moment, he prayed that Kagome made it off the farm alive.

'Please help her get out of there,' he prayed.

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The smell of smoke and the sound of gunfire was heard from the distance.

"Take us back," Souta ordered Sesshōmaru. The demon didn't stop running with the two children until he couldn't smell a rotting corpse a good distance away. When he finally stopped, he put Souta and Sophia down.

"We have to go back. I have to find my Mama," Sophia begged the demon.

Sesshōmaru shook his head, "My mission is to protect you, Sophia. And the Miko asked me to guard the boy. It is clear to me that the group you were with was incapable of aiding me in guarding you. We will not be reuniting with them."

"That's bullshit," Souta yelled at the demon. "Kagome told you to take us because she was trying to protect us."

"The Miko had barely managed to protect you, her own brother, on her own," Sesshōmaru pointed out. "Even with more people, these humans could not even guard two children."

Souta had never wished he had the same powers as his sister, but right now, he wanted nothing more than to purify Sesshōmaru. He was the only thing keeping them separated from the group.

And for the first time since Sophia got separated from her mother on that highway, she began to cry. She didn't want to be protected by a powerful demon if it meant that she'd be separated from her mother. "Please...It's my family," Sophia grabbed the Sesshōmaru and looked at him with pleading eyes, "Please Lord Sesshōmaru."

For a brief moment, the image of Rin crossed the demons mind. He remembered how Rin had said those exact same words as she was dying and she begged him to look after her family. Sesshōmaru turned away from Sophia to look at the direction of the farm. His expression was unreadable to both children.

Souta glared at the demon, wondering what his next move will be. 'If he doesn't take us back to Kagome and Sophia's mom...Then what will we do?'

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Rick kept driving as fast as he could, trying his best not to look back at the damage that's been done to the Green's farm. His mind was driven to get his son out of there and now it was to find his wife and the others. There's only one place he could think of to wait for them.

The interstate.

'Please be there,' he begged in his mind

Carl was riding shot gun of the car next to his father. He pulled the hat he was wearingdown in order to hide the tears in his eyes. The young Grimes had done something he'd never done before tonight.

He killed a Walker.

This wasn't just any Walker either...The Walker used to be their family friend Shane.

Carl couldn't believe that he had to be the one to shoot Walker Shane. But when he saw the Walker about to attack his father, who had no idea that it was there, he had no choice but to shoot the undead creature in the head. 'It was the right thing to do,' Carl kept repeating in a whimper his head.

Hershel road in the back of the car next to a passed out Kagome. For the first little while, all he could do was watch his home as it shrink in the distance the farther Rick drove them away. The home that had belonged to his family for generations, was now invaded by Walkers.

He would probably never be able to return their again.

The farmer sighed before he looked at the unconscious woman next to him. Hershel was grateful for Kagome trying to protect his home for as long as she did. He grabbed her hand and squeezed in appreciation.

That's when he noticed that the priestess's body was abnormally cold.

'Oh no,' Hershel realized in a panic, as he grabbed Kagome's wrist with his fingers to feel her pulse. He counted how far apart her heartbeats were in his head, and cursed when he noticed that they were notably irregular.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked, hearing the old man swear. Carl turned around to see what was going on, and saw that Kagome was much paler than usual.

"It's Kagome," Hershel voiced, "She has a very weak pulse. At this rate...She could slip into a coma."

Carl's eyes widened in fear. He'd already seen what being in a coma was like because of his dad being shot. He didn't want to see it again.

Rick banged the wheel, "Damn it," he cursed, "We didn't go through all that just to lose someone now!"

 ***Insert dozens of crossbow being aimed toward me, while I hold my hands up in surrender* Okay, hear me out. This chapter is very special since it not only reveals Kagome's secret. I wanted it to be nail biting, memorable and of course have that Walking Dead cliff hanger charm that brings us back no matter how much it pisses us off. Is that so wrong? *insert the dozen crossbows taking the safeties off* Apparently yes. But it was the only way you'll come back next installment, which will be on New Years Day. Anyway, what do you think? Next time: The last episode of season two of the Walking Dead. Will Kagome be okay? What choice will Sesshōmaru make?**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	14. Things Have to Change

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Happy New Year! And Happy Anniversary to this fic. Thank you so much to those who stuck with me for this long. I'm posting this chapter early since I'll no access to a computer tomorrow.**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **Mistress of Darkness Katana: Because I was going to post the next chapter in a week...Not a good excuse but it's the best I've got.**

 **yourworldismine: Wow! Thank you so much.**

 **Naosj: You're asking me if there is going to be a magical solution where Kagome and her friends solve everyone's problems in the Walking Dead. Honestly, I don't see that happening. I'm making this story to show how I see some Inuyasha characters interact with what happens on the show of the Walking Dead in my head. I didn't write it with the intention of 'Oh these people are going to solve everything' Sure I changed a few things and kept others in canon but that's to be expected. New problems are going to emerge as well, but probably not as extreme as you're wanting. Sorry if this disappoints you.**

 **KuroKat013: Wait no more. Wow a week just flies by doesn't it?**

 **Kaggie21: Thank you for your kind words and support. You're very awesome!**

 **MOONWOLF1234: Thanks. And a happy new year to you too!**

 **ComicsToo: Sorry that the chapter didn't meet up to your expectations in the beginning. But to be fair, I do keep all the fics I write mostly on canon with my own little twists thrown in. If you don't enjoy this, maybe you can write your own crossover and do it the way you want. I'm sure you're a talented writer as well.**

 **Sesshiesfangirl (Guest): To quote Maui from Disney's Moana "You're Welcome"**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: I hear you about Sesshōmaru. But to be fair, he doesn't really owe the group anything since his main objective is protecting Sophia and nothing else. (He only took Souta because he respects Kagome to a certain extent) So Sesshōmaru really has no obligation to go back or return Sophia to the group.**

 **Raven1123: Thanks, you and me both.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: I'm glad you liked it.**

 **Sekwaf: Oh, thanks for pointing that out. As for Tesseiga, I never brought up what happened to it. Honestly, I'm not sure what became of it myself. Maybe the fic will help me figure it out later...If that makes sense.**

 **bloodmoon25: Thanks. I hope you like this one too.**

 **lifelovelaugh: I'm glad you think so.**

 **Spastic Freak: Well luckily you don't got to wait for this one.**

 **Thank you guys and to shizukesa-sama,** **Raven1123,** **emedina6,** **Touzoko,** **Vixenpup79, babybisser,** **lordofapathy,** **kimmay94, Saisaici - The Helper,** **SilenceIsKey, Poosa-ard, Icis1984, and Polyeux171 for showing me the love and support for this fic.**

Disclaimer: Alright we all know the drill. I don't own Inuyasha or The Walking Dead. No suing please.

Chapter Fourteen: Things Have to Change

The stress and agony of what had happened last night weighed heavily on Rick's shoulders as he drove to the interstate. He didn't even know if anyone in the group would actually be their waiting for them on the interstate. 'But what other choice do we have,' he thought when they finally arrived at the spot where Sophia had gotten lost.

"How is she?" Rick asked Hershel who was monitoring a still unconscious Kagome.

The old veterinarian sighed, "I wish I knew," he answered, "She needs to pull out of this on her own...Otherwise," Hershel couldn't finish his sentence.

Rick cursed under his breath.

"Dad," Carl whimpered, "Is Kagome gonna die?"

"No," Rick quickly assured him, "She just...She just needs some time...How about you stay with just in case she wakes up."

Carl weakly nodded before his dad and Hershel went outside with their weapons to stand watch and look out for the rest of their group. The young Grimes gently maneuvered Kagome into a more comfortable position in the car's seat, before he took a spot on the floor to sit by her face. Carl sat with knees tucked and his chin resting on top, as he watched the priestess. "Please wake up Kagome," he begged her, hoping she could hear him.

Kagome wasn't just a good friend or a survivor in their group.

She was a part of his family.

Like a big sister Carl never had.

And he couldn't bear the thought of losing more of his family.

The young Grimes had already lost Shane, and he has no idea if he'll ever see his mother or two best friends again. Carl replayed the last conversation he held with friends in his head, and he hated what he said to them. All Souta and Sophia were doing was looking out for him, and instead of listening, he almost got himself killed by Walkers along with his dad.

Carl whimpered as he buried his head into his knees.

Eventually, the young Grimes finally managed to fall asleep from exhaustion.

It wasn't until hours later that Carl awoke from the sound of someone groaning next to him.

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 _Kagome winced as she was being carried by Miroku on his back._

" _Are you sure about this?" the perverted monk asked the priestess as he adjusted his hold on her, "You can wait a little longer to heal."_

 _The priestess shook her head, "I can't stay here...I can't."_

 _Miroku frowned at Kagome's tone._

 _It was the sound of someone who had given up...On everything._

' _Not that I blame her,' Miroku thought as the vison of Sango dying flashed in his mind. He had felt so helpless during the battle. Naraku managed to poison him with his insects, making him weak and useless. Sango did her best to protect him and Kagome, but in the end she lost her life._

 _There was only two bright sides at the end of the battle for the monk. His wind tunnel cruse had been broken and Inuyasha killing Naraku. His half demon friend had given him the second chance at life he'd never thought he'd have. 'Thank you my friend,' Miroku recited prayer he'd done multiple times since the end of the battle._

 _The sound of sniffling broke the monk from his thoughts._

 _Shippo was whimpering next to the two young adults as he walked with the monk. Miroku frowned at the little fox demon, knowing that this was hard for him._

 _Kagome was leaving them._

 _For good._

 _The person that helped bring everyone together._

 _But now that the Jewel was fixed and Naraku was dead, Kagome wouldn't be able to come back._

 _This was good bye._

" _We're here," Miroku told them as they came to the Bone Eater's well._

 _The monk slowly lowered himself to put Kagome on the ground. The priestess slowly limped to the edge of the well and sat down on the rim to look at her friends. Kagome gazed at the monk and demon she saw as a son, wishing that things didn't turn out this way._

" _I guess...this is goodbye," Kagome admitted with tears in her eyes._

 _Miroku leaned forward and hugged the priestess. Kagome hesitated to hug him back, "Don't worry...I won't stroke your bottom," the monk assured her in a weak attempt to lighten the sad moment._

 _Kagome gave an unamused laugh, hissing a little from the pain from her unhealed wounds, "I'll miss you," she told Miroku whole heartedly._

 _The monk pulled back, allowing Shippo to jump on to Kagome's lap. She winced at the contact, making the small demon frown._

" _I'm-I'm sorry," Shippo told her in regret._

 _The priestess shook her head, giving him an assuring smile, "It's okay, Shippo...Come here," she opened her arms and hugged the young fox._

 _Shippo hugged her back just as fiercely._

" _I love you, Shippo," she whispered to him._

" _I love you too," the demon sobbed in reply._

 _After a few minutes, Kagome looked to Miroku, letting him know that it was time for her to go. The monk reluctantly pulled Shippo away from Kagome and held him in his arms. Shippo struggled for Miroku's hold to let him go, shouting in protest._

" _No! Not yet!" the fox demon cried out._

 _Kagome began to cry as she slowly turned and jumped down the Bone Eater's well for the last time._

" _MAMA DON'T GO!"_

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Kagome awoke from the intense memory from someone gently shaking her shoulders.

"Kagome wake up," Carl encouraged her, hoping that she was okay.

"Wh-what?" the priestess groaned as she came back to a state of consciousness. Kagome quickly realized that she was still in the car that she, Rick, Carl, and Hershel used to escape the farm.

That must have been a while ago since the sun was now up.

"Kagome," Carl's voice screeched in delight "You're awake! You're alive!"

"Ye-yeah," Kagome replied to Carl feeling a little confused of why he was so excited to see her. Suddenly, last night's events came into her mind, "Where are we?" she asked, trying to sit up.

"We're on the interstate again," Carl answered.

Once he said that, Kagome sat all the way up from the car seat and looked out the window. She could see Rick and Hershel were standing guard outside the car. "But, where's everyone else? Did they make it?" she asked the boy. 'Did Daryl make it?' she prayed to herself.

Carl lowered his head, his eyes getting watery, "We-We don't know."

Kagome's breath caught with grief. It was easy to see the worry and old tears in the young Grimes eyes. "Oh Carl," she said drawing him into a hug. No matter how much Carl had messed up before, the poor boy had gone through a lot last night. 'We all have,' Kagome realized, not knowing if she would see her brother or Daryl again.

Carl hugged the priestess back, needing that comfort. His father had been too busy, waiting for everyone else to arrive, to do this for him. Kagome rubbed Carl's back soothingly, allowing him to wallow in the tragic events of last night.

After a few minutes, Kagome gently patted his back. "Come on," she urged the young Grimes, "Let's go talk to your dad."

Carl nodded as he let the priestess go to open the car door and scooted out. Kagome followed right behind him, still feeling a little bit weak but was still able to walk...slowly.

Hearing the car door open, Rick turned his head and saw his son and the priestess exit the car. "You're awake," the former officer said to the priestess in liberation, "How you feeling?"

Kagome nodded, "I'm okay...My body's not used to using that much holy energy anymore. I guess I pushed myself too far last night."

"You should still rest," Hershel suggested looking at her but his eyes still shifted around them, wondering if Walkers were around every corner. "I don't think you should be pushing your body this soon."

The priestess shook her head, "I'll be fine, Hershel. I promise" she assured him as she took in their surroundings. She recognized a few cars around them. "This-This is where we stayed when we were looking for Sophia," Kagome realized, seeing the car where they left the sign for Sophia.

Rick nodded, "It was the only place I could think of that we've all been before...I thought the others might be here."

Kagome nodded, understanding the logic. "How long has it been?"

"A few hours passed sunrise," Hershel answered her.

The priestess sighed, "How long can we stay here?" she asked them. They had absolutely no supplies and Kagome remembered only having four arrow's left in her quiver

Almost all of the weapons and supplies were abandoned at the farm. Not to mention all of the personal effects they had managed to hold onto until now. 'My journal too,' the priestess thought in a brief moment of disappointment.

"As long as we have to," Rick answered, "I have to wait for Lori."

"And Souta too," Carl voiced, "He's my blood brother, right?"

Kagome gave a sad smile, "Right," she replied, and felt incredibly guilty for lying to him. The priestess didn't want to admit to Carl that it was Sesshōmaru that took Sophia and her brother away from the farm. She knew the demon well enough to know that he'd never bring them back if he thought, for even a moment, that their group was too weak. 'Sesshōmaru won't bring them back...He won't allow it,' she thought in remorse.

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Keep running.

Those were the words that Andrea repeated in her head.

After she saved Carol from a Walker, she was separated from the others.

They had left her behind.

Left for dead.

But luckily for her, she still had the bag of guns and ammo.

Andrea knew she was going to make it with these weapons at her side.

She just had to get away from the Walkers from the farm first.

Andrea was so set on trying to escape from the current threat, that she didn't see two pairs of eyes following her form in the distance.

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A half hour later, Hershel spotted a Walker coming their direction.

Wanting to preserve all the ammo that they had, Rick ordered the others to hide and let the undead man pass by them. He'd already done this a few times today with Hershel before Kagome and Carl got out of the car.

Kagome held Carl close to her as she stood in between Hershel and Rick, all of them hiding next to the car. The young Grimes buried his face in Kagome's stomach as she slowly guided him to the back of the car as the Walker moved into their line of sight.

As soon as the Walker was out of ear shot, Hershel whispered, "I don't know how much longer we can stay here."

Carl pulled himself away from the priestess and shook his head, "I'm not leaving without Mom," he said softly.

"We know, Carl" Kagome said, holding the boy close to her. Without Souta with her now, her protective instincts transferred to Carl, "We know."

Rick looked at the priestess in appreciation, before looking at Hershel. The farmer still wasn't convinced that they'd find the rest of their group. Their family. "So you just want us to walk away?" Rick asked Hershel, "Not knowing if my wife, your girls, or Kagome's brother is out there? How can we live with that?"

"But Rick you only have one concern now," Hershel interrupted, "Just one...Keeping Carl alive...Nature might be throwing us a curveball, but that law is still true," he pointed out.

Kagome looked down at the boy she had been holding in her arms. This innocent little boy would probably be their only hope for the future of their group if they couldn't find anyone else. 'Maybe Hershel's right...We need to protect Carl now,' she thought to herself.

The priestess had so much faith that someday the world would get better. That they would survive the dead rising, as long as their group remained together.

And yet, Kagome's faith started wavering during their time on Hershel's farm.

Now, after what happened last night, and the possibility of never seeing her brother, Sophia, Carol, Sesshōmaru, and Daryl ever again was heartbreaking. Her only blood relative and the people she had grown to care for may never be found. 'I...I lost my family again,' she thought in anguish, as the memories of Inuyasha, Sango and her mother, dying in front of her replayed in Kagome's mind.

Rick contemplated what Hershel had told him, agonizing over what to do. He wanted to find Lori, but he also had to think about his son. After a few dreading moments, Rick made his decision. "Carl," he said softly, kneeling down to the ground to his son's level. "It's not safe here."

Carl whimpered as he dug his head into Kagome's side.

The priestess hugged the boy tenderly.

"I'm sorry," Rick kept talking, "But we need to."

Suddenly the sound of a motorcycle hit their ears.

Kagome's head snapped up, wondering for a moment if she was dreaming, 'Is that...I can't be.'

Everyone's head turned to the direction of the noise of a motorcycle coming towards them.

And familiar vehicles suddenly appeared on the road.

'No way,' Kagome thought in disbelief.

Daryl drove down the interstate with Carol riding with him, being followed by T-Dog driving Otis's truck that carried Lori and Beth, and their other vehicle being driven by Glenn with Maggie in the passenger seat.

Rick and Hershel smiled as the vehicles approached them, while Kagome cried and gave a relived smile. She quickly used her holy powers to sense their souls in the cars and sensed that they got away from the farm uninjured. 'Oh thank you Kami...Thank you for keeping my family alive,' the priestess thought gratefully.

Daryl stopped his motorcycle close to Hershel's car. He instantly sighed in relief when he saw Kagome with them.

"Oh thank God," Lori cried out as she exited Otis's truck and ran to her son. Carl escaped Kagome's arms as he ran to his mother, to meet her half way and hugged her tightly.

Rick walked over to Daryl and grabbed his hand, glad that they both were alive and found each other again, before their leader went over to hug his wife.

Maggie and Beth ran automatically to their father, who was thanking God repeatedly that his girls had returned to him.

Carol hopped off Daryl's motorcycle and ran to the priestess. "Thank goodness you're alright," she said hugging Kagome, who embraced her back. "We were so worried about you," Carol voiced, figuring that the hunter would never admit that he was nervous about the priestess making it off the farm.

Kagome cried lightly on the woman's shoulder in reprieve. A moment later, the priestess opened her eyes to look over at Daryl, who looked just as relieved as she was that their family had survived. She smiled at him, thanking God that the hunter had survived, causing Daryl eyes to soften and give her a half smile in return.

They both had been wrong before.

Their group wasn't broken.

It just needed to be reminded on how lucky they were to still have each other.

Daryl suddenly looked around, trying to find Souta, Sophia, and Sesshōmaru. 'Where are they?' he wondered, not seeing the kids anywhere. He looked back Kagome with a raised brow. She responded by biting her lower lip and gave him a miserable look.

'How can I tell him and the others?' Kagome thought in despair, 'Oh Kami, how do I tell Carol about Sophia?'

Carol pulled back from Kagome and looked around their group, "Where's Sophia?" she asked the priestess, thinking that she'd know where Sesshōmaru had taken them.

Kagome wiped the tears out of her eyes, "She's with Sesshōmaru."

"I know he took her before the Walkers got to the house but," Carol began to say, a little confused by Kagome's answer.

"Carol," Kagome interrupted, repeating what she said. "Sophia's with Sesshōmaru, but I don't," the priestess paused finding it difficult to say the words, "Carol...I don't think that he's going to bring Sophia back."

"You have very little faith, Miko," Sesshōmaru's voice suddenly interrupted Kagome, before Carol could even react to what she had said.

Everyone turned and saw he demon as he helped the two children up the steep hill that separated the road and the woods.

Ironically, it was the same place that Sophia had ran down when the herd of Walkers had over run the interstate.

"Kagome," Souta said in relief when he ran to his sister. For a moment, the young Higurashi had feared that Sesshōmaru wasn't going to return them to their family. 'Good thing he can't say no to Sophia.'

Kagome was so stunned that Sesshōmaru had brought her brother and Sophia back that she fell to her knees in shock. Souta used that as an opportunity to hug his sister and put his arms around her neck. Feeling her brother's soul and heart beat close to her, the priestess hugged her brother back. **"Souta,"** she whimpered in Japanese, with pure joy etched on her face, **"You're alright. I'm so happy you're alright."**

The priestess looked at the demon in gratitude, even though he gave her no sign of acknowledgement. Kagome was so happy to have her family back after what happened. Despite what had happened on the Green farm, and that there was no possible way to find each other, everyone found their way back to one another.

At that moment, Kagome vowed to never lose faith in the people she loved like that again.

"Mama," Sophia cried when she ran to her mother. Carol kneeled down and caught her daughter in her arms, with tears falling down her face. The mother quickly looked over at the demon, who watched both reunions with a neutral expression on his face, and smiled at him in gratitude. This was the second time that he'd saved her daughter, 'I owe him so much.'

Sesshōmaru really didn't have much confidence in this group of humans. They were way too emotional and couldn't handle the simple decisions. 'And yet, their loyalty to one another is something to behold,' the demon had to admit to himself.

Rick smiled at the sight before turning to Daryl, "Where did you find everyone?" he asked curiously.

Daryl pointed to Glenn, "Saw this guy's tail lights zigzagging all over the road. Figured he had to be Asian driving like that."

Glenn, Kagome and even Souta snorted at the joke. "Good one," said the Korean in amusement.

The hunter looked around the group, still noticing some missing members. "Where's everyone else?"

"We're the only ones who made it so far," Rick admitted.

Lori stood up from the ground but still kept a tight hold on Carl, "Shane?" she asked wanting to know where he was and what the hell happened last night.

Rick looked at his wife and shook his head, answering her question.

Everyone looked at their leader completely stunned. Sure, Shane didn't get along with everyone, but it still hurt to hear that he was gone.

Kagome stood up as she watched Rick interestedly, noticing his uneasy body language at the mention of Shane. The priestess didn't really pay attention to this since they were focused on protecting Carl as they waited for everyone. But now that they had a moment, Kagome studied Rick's soul and was a little startled at what she found. 'It's slightly dark...And yet, he's grieving over whatever act he's done.' As much as she wanted to ask what happened, he priestess didn't want to question it since Rick didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. 'He'll talk to us when he's ready.'

"Andrea?" Glenn asked, noticing the blonde woman missing.

Carol was the one to answer, "She saved me, but I lost her," she informed them as she stood up but kept her arm around Sophia's shoulder.

"We saw her go down," T-Dog informed the group in regret.

"What about Patricia?" Hershel asked.

Beth sobbed, "They got her too...They took her right from me. I was-I was holding on to her Daddy. She just," she couldn't even finish as tears fell down her face. "What about Jimmy? Did anyone see Jimmy?" she asked the group, wanting to know what happened to her boyfriend.

Rick nodded, "He was in the RV...It got overrun."

Kagome looked down to the ground in despair, 'We lost four of our people.' Souta reached over and squeezed his sister's hand in support which helped her remain calm in front of everyone.

Carol wasn't so convinced, "Are you sure you saw Andrea?" she asked Lori. Everyone else's death was definitely confirmed, except for the blonde woman's.

"There were Walkers everywhere," Lori pointed out, not thinking anyone could survive that.

"She had the guns," Kagome suddenly remembered, "She could have defended herself."

Daryl nodded in agreement, "I'm goin' back," he said, getting ready to ride on his motorcycle.

"No," Rick ordered harshly.

"Can't just leave her," Daryl protested.

"She's our friend," Kagome said in agreement. She may not have been on good terms with Andrea, but she still family and refused to abandon her.

Lori shook her head in disagreement, "We don't even know if she's there."

"She isn't there," Rick said as a statement, figuring that Andrea wouldn't stay put with all those Walkers, "She isn't. She's either somewhere else or dead. Either way, there's no way to find her."

Kagome glanced over to Sesshōmaru, "Can't you track her from the farm?"

The demon shook his head, "Rotting corpses are completely surrounding the area."

"So we're not even going to look for her?" Glenn asked completely baffled by Rick's decision.

"We got to keep moving," Rick stated.

Sesshōmaru nodded in agreement as he gestured to a single Walker headed their way. "Rick is right. This place is not safe for Sophia and this group."

"I say we head east," T-Dog suggested. He had voiced this to the group before that they should go towards the coast, and now was good time to go.

Daryl nodded since that was good a plan as any, "Stay off the main roads. The bigger the roads, the more Walkers, like this asshole" he grabbed his crossbow and aimed it towards the Walker headed towards them. "I got him," Daryl assured the group, and fired a bolt at the Walker's head, taking it down for good.

Rick nodded, "Alright. We'll take the two cars and Daryl's bike. We'll leave Otis's truck behind since it's a killer on gas."

Kagome led Souta by the hand over to Hershel's car.

"Hey," Daryl called over to Kagome, making the priestess turn around. The hunter gestured for her to take the spot behind him on his bike.

Kagome nodded and helped her brother inside Hershel's car before going over to Daryl. She hopped on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his mid-section. It felt so good feeling his body against her own again. The priestess couldn't help but smile as she saw the wings on his vest. 'My angel came back to me,' Kagome thought blushing as she pressed the side of her face into his back.

Daryl let his hand drape across Kagome's intertwined hands, brushing them with his fingers for a few blissful seconds.

For one awful moment, he feared that he'd never see the priestess again.

He was glad that he was wrong.

If they were alone, the hunter would have shown Kagome how happy he was to see her. 'Time for that later,' Daryl told himself, 'We got to get out of here first.'

"Alright let's go," Rick ordered as everyone got in a vehicle and drove away from the interstate.

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After a few hours of driving, Rick honked from his place in Hershel's car at the back of the line.

"Daryl stop," Kagome told the hunter, as they rode the motorcycle up front.

Daryl pulled over, as the car behind them did as well. Rick exited his vehicle, along with the others. "You out?" he asked their leader.

"Yeah," Rick said in annoyance.

Kagome got off the motorcycle to check on her brother. **"You alright?"** she asked him softly in Japanese.

Souta nodded in reply.

"We can't stay here," Maggie said, holding a shot gun in a panic. She couldn't help but be paranoid after what they experienced the night before.

Glenn looked at her worriedly, "We can't all fit in one car."

Rick nodded in agreement, "We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning."

Carol raised a brow, "We're gonna spend the night here?" She grabbed her daughter and held her close, trying to keep them warm.

Carl snuggled next to his mother, "I'm freezing."

"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori asked the others, who nodded yes. They didn't realize how cold it was quickly becoming.

Kagome was rubbing her brother's arms with her hands, trying to use friction to keep him warm, while he tried to get close to her body's warmth as possible.

"If you're gonna look for some fire wood stay close," Daryl voiced to everyone, "Only got so many arrows." He quickly counted his bolts and the arrows he saw in Kagome's quiver. 'Only six. Definitely not good,' he cursed to himself. "How we doin' on ammo?"

"Not enough," Rick answered, just as frustrated.

Maggie looked at the leader skeptically, "We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out."

"Watch your mouth," Hershel warned his daughter. The world may be ending but he wouldn't dare let his daughter forget her manners. "Stop panicking and listen to Rick," he ordered.

Sesshōmaru used his demonic senses to scan the area. "There are no corpses close by...But I do smell water."

"A creek?" Kagome asked, making the demon nod yes. "We're going to need drinking water."

"We'll make a perimeter," Rick stated, "We'll make a run in the morning for gas and proper supplies."

"Glenn and I can make a run now to search for gas" Maggie suggested, not wanting to be this exposed outside.

Rick shook his head in objection, "We stay together. Sesshōmaru says it's clear for now, but God forbid something happens and we get stranded without a car."

"Rick, we're stranded now," Glenn informed him.

"We're not stranded," Kagome informed him, "We're just scared because of what happened last night. And now we're all jumpy thinking about it...Today is just like any other day since this all started."

Her words didn't seem to affect the group at all. The only ones who weren't showing signs of distress were Rick, Daryl, and Sesshōmaru.

"Kagome's right," Rick said agreeing with her, "I know it looks bad now, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other...I wasn't really sure we would, but we did. We're together and we keep it that way. For now, we'll find a place to camp."

Glenn shook his head, not liking the idea at all, "Rick look around. There's Walker's everywhere, they're migrating or something."

"There's got to be a place," Rick argued, "Not just where we a hole up, but that we fortify. Hunker down, pull ourselves together, and build a life for each other. I know it's out there, we just have to find it."

Maggie sighed, "Even if we find a place, and think it's safe, we can never be sure for how long. Look at the farm. We were fools to think that we were safe there."

"Then we keep moving," Kagome answered simply. "I used to wander around the Feudal Era of Japan, and there was danger everywhere we went. We just had to keep moving. It'll be a difficult journey, but not impossible," she told them sternly. Too many group members were scared, and they needed to keep calm if they were going to start from scratch again.

Rick nodded and looked at their surroundings. He saw a few stone walls around each other, an old house perhaps. "We'll camp over there for tonight, get on the road at the break of day," Rick ordered.

Carol looked skeptically at Daryl, "Does this feel right to you?" she asked, trusting the hunter's judgment above Rick's at the moment.

"What if Walker's come through here?" Beth asked Rick, "Or another group like Randall's?"

"I'll stand guard tonight," Sesshōmaru informed them, "You humans need your rest. Nothing should come through that I can't handle."

"Didn't feel that way back at the farm," Lori muttered under her breath in detest. She thought a powerful demon lord would have protected them from a large herd of Walkers.

Sesshōmaru still heard her, "My vow is to protect Sophia at all costs. However, she wished for me to guard her family as well. And for now, that includes all of you." Lori was taken aback by the demon's harsh sounding words. On the one hand he was saying he'd protect her, on the other, it sounded like he was telling her not to cross him. Luckily, Lori was smart enough not to reply to his remark.

Daryl wanted to stay on topic, since there was something still bugging him. "You know we found Randall, right?" he told Rick. "He had turned but he wasn't bit."

"How is that possible?" Beth asked.

Lori looked at her husband, "Rick, what the hell happened?"

"Shane killed Randall," Daryl answered for the group's leader, "Just like he always wanted to."

Kagome scowled to the ground, "I knew it," she muttered and began cursing Shane's name.

Lori began to get more emotional, "And then...The herd got him?"

Rick let out a heavy sigh, knowing that it was finally time to reveal a secret he'd been keeping since they'd left the CDC. "We're all infected," he told the group.

Everyone's eyes widened at the sudden bomb that fell on them.

Daryl was the first to recover from the shock, "What?"

"At the CDC, Jenner told me," Rick explained, "Whatever it is...We all carry it."

The hunter turned away from their leader, trying to process the information.

Kagome's blood ran cold, and she could feel her brother shaking in her arms from what they just learned. 'So...We're going to turn into Walkers no matter what,' she realized in horror.

Carol scowled at Rick, "And you never said anything?!"

"Would it have made a difference?" Rick asked her. In his mind, if he had told them the truth, it would have caused unnecessary panic. Their group would still have to fight every day to stay alive.

"You knew that this whole time?" asked an upset Glenn.

"How could I have known for sure?" Rick continued to rationalize his decision. "You saw what Jenner was like. How crazy that mother fu-."

"That is not your call," Glenn interrupted, "When I found out about the barn, I told the group for the good of everyone."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Rick was doing the same thing," she tried to reason with her friend. "And he's right. Knowing that we were infect doesn't change anything."

Rick looked to the priestess in gratitude for seeing his side of things.

"Hmm," Sesshōmaru mumbled as he absorbed the information, "So that's what it is."

The priestess looked to the demon, confused by what he meant "What?"

"Tenseiga," Sesshōmaru explained, "If we carry this infection, then the process of transforming to the living dead starts even before the moment of death...The moment a human dies, they're already the living dead...That's why the sword will not revive those who have died since the corpses started rising."

Kagome nodded, "I guess that makes sense," she admitted weakly. 'It still doesn't make the situation better though,' she thought bitterly.

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Andrea was exhausted.

She'd been fighting and running from Walkers ever since the farm was over run.

The sun was setting now.

And she was low on ammo with the guns.

Her body wanted to give up, but her stubbornness refused to let herself give in.

Andrea wanted to live and she refused to die by the hands of a Walker.

So Andrea kept going, using the empty guns as weapons to smash Walker's skulls in and a knife.

Now, after taking down a Walker with her knife, she tripped on the forest floor. Another Walker was coming towards her. Andrea began to crab walk on the ground, trying to get away and get back on her feet.

Suddenly, the Walker's head was severed right in front of the blonde woman. Andrea yelped in surprise before she looked up at her savior.

A hooded figure held a sword, which severed the Walker, and was holding two other Walkers that had no arms or jaws. The figure was holding these particular Walkers with chains around their necks, as if they were dogs on leashes.

Andrea was breathing heavily as she gazed at her hooded savior and the two Walkers that they dragged behind as they walked closer to her.

That's when the blonde woman noticed something else that was strange about the hooded figure.

Something was riding on their shoulder.

From what Andrea could see, it was a very unique looking cat. In fact, the feline had a very specific detail that reminded her of something from one of Kagome's past stories.

This cat, had two tails.

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Kagome found a few practically empty water bottles in both cars and used them to gather water near the creek that Sesshōmaru had pointed out to her.

There was so many thoughts going through the priestess's head that she didn't sense someone coming up behind her.

Kagome yelped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. The priestess sighed in relief when she turned around and saw it was her angel. "Daryl, you scared me," she scolded the hunter.

Instead of replying, Daryl grabbed Kagome's arm, lifted her up to her feet and pushed her against a nearby tree with force.

The priestess gasped, surprised by the sudden action.

Right when Kagome was going to protest to the hunter's fierce action, she saw the look in Daryl's eyes.

One that made the priestess's throat run dry.

She'd seen that look on him before.

Once at the Quarry and another on the roof in Atlanta where they found Merle's hand.

Daryl Dixon was pissed off.

Before Kagome could question what he was doing, the hunter's lips smashed down onto hers in a rough possessive kiss.

The priestess was confused but still responded to the harsh kiss with just as much urgency. Daryl rubbed his body against Kagome, pushing her closer into the tree. They made out heavily for a few more minutes before Daryl finally needed to breathe and pulled back. He cupped Kagome's face as he stared fiercely into her eyes, "Don't. Ever. Pull that shit again."

The priestess raised a brow, "Huh?"

"Rick and Hershel told me what happened," the hunter stated.

Kagome's eyes widened in realization, "Wait, are you talking about the barrier I put up? You don't want me to do that?"

"Yes," Daryl snapped at her, "Damn it, Baby Girl. Hershel told me that you almost went into a coma or somethin'. What the hell were you thinkin'?" The hunter honestly thought that the worst thing that could have happened to Kagome was her being eaten by Walkers. Then the old veterinarian told him how weak she became from saving them. 'She could have,' Daryl shook his head, unable to complete the thought. The hunter had already lost his brother, he couldn't stand the idea of losing someone else, 'Especially her.'

"I'm-I'm sorry," Kagome apologized, "But it was the best way to protect our family. I'd do it again if I have too."

"Like hell you are," the hunter barked at her, "You think I'm gonna let that happen to you again...Fuck, Baby Girl," Daryl growled before he bit his lower lip and lowered his head onto Kagome's shoulder, sliding both his hands down her arms. "You scared the shit out of me," he admitted softly, sounding calmer now.

Kagome blushed at what the hunter had confided in her. Daryl had never spoken like this to her before. 'I've never seen him like this,' she realized before giving a small smile at the thought of him caring so much about what happened to her. The priestess wrapped her arms around Daryl in a comforting embrace, "I'm sorry...But I can't promise that I won't use my powers again," she told him, unable to lie. The hunter didn't yell at Kagome or fight her on what she said. This allowed the priestess to keep talking. "You had me worried too...I thought I lost you. I almost thought I had. I almost gave up hope," she admitted, before she suddenly felt Daryl's body tense up in her arms. "But then you came back...I'm never doubting you again," Kagome promised him.

As comforting as the priestess embrace and words were, Daryl was still mad. "I ain't gonna be okay if you over doin' it with your...powers," he admitted to her lifted up his head to look at the priestess to show just how serious he was about this.

"I know," Kagome replied, figuring as much, "But, if we're backed against a corner again."

"Then I'll make sure we're not," Daryl interrupted, "I ain't losin' no one else...Not losin' you." The priestess opened her mouth to reply but closed her mouth in the last moment. Kagome knew how stubborn her angel could be, so she wasn't going to waist her time fighting. Accepting her surrender, Daryl kissed her forehead, "You're stuck with me, Baby Girl," he told her as a promise.

Kagome snorted before she replied, "That means that you're stuck with me too, Tenshi."

"Good," Daryl replied before he kissed her on the lips again, more tenderly this time. That's when he noticed how cold Kagome's skin had become. "Come on, you need to get warm," he gestured for them to return to their temporary camp that already got a fire started.

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No one was talking when the couple returned to the camp.

Everyone was sticking close to their loved ones, trying to keep warm.

Souta looked at his sister when she returned, noticing that Daryl was very close to her. They obviously had a private moment that involved their relationship. 'It's about time,' he thought, happy for his sister. Souta's thoughts were interrupted when Sophia scooted closer to his body, trying to help the both of them stay warm. Luckily they both had their jackets on before they left the farm.

Souta blushed as Sophia put her head on his shoulder.

Carol watched as Daryl sat down next to Kagome, who sat next to her brother, and went over to sit on his other side so she could speak to him. "We're not safe with him," she said quietly to the hunter, referring to Rick. "Keeping something like that from us...Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."

Kagome, Souta and Sophia heard what Carol was saying, and raised their brows in confusion.

"No," Daryl replied, "Rick's done alright by me." At first he didn't think much of the former police officer. But Rick had kept this group alive with every decision he made. He even tried to help him find Merle in Atlanta and he saved Kagome on the farm.

Daryl owed a lot to Rick, and will continue to follow him without hesitation.

"You're his henchmen," Carol hissed in disagreement, "And I'm a burden," she admitted. Carol had always hated how weak she felt, both mentally and physically. She believed that if she were stronger, she would have left her husband with Sophia a long time ago. 'But I'm not,' she thought in self-doubt.

"Then become stronger," Sesshōmaru voiced from his spot above the stone wall. He was standing guard using his demonic senses, along with T-Dog, who insisted that he be useful in protecting the group.

Carol looked up at the demon, muddled by what he meant, "What?"

"You think you're weak," Sesshōmaru informed her, not bothering to turn around to look at her, "Then work to become stronger."

Kagome nodded in agreement. As harsh as Sesshōmaru voiced it, it was time for the timid woman to grow up. "He's right, Carol. You're the one that's going to have to change. Sophia too...It won't be easy for the both of you, I can tell you that from personal experience. But you two can do it."

Sophia lifted up her head off Souta's shoulder to look at her mother, "I don't want to be a lost little girl anymore, Mama."

Souta looked at his crush in admiration. Sophia was the strongest girl he'd ever met, next to his sister, and yet she wanted to become stronger. The young Higurashi slipped his hand into Sophia's and squeezed it tightly. 'I have someone to protect,' Souta recited to himself.

"I-I don't know how," Carol admitted foolishly to the demon and priestess, "I don't even know where to start."

"I can teach you," Kagome told her, "I should probably teach the rest of the women and the kids too."

Maggie and Beth looked at one another, finally realizing that they needed to learn to defend themselves too.

"You'll learn to adapt and take care of yourself like the Miko did all those years ago," Sesshōmaru informed the women, before finally turning his eyes toward Carol. "If you want to protect your daughter, you'll consider the offer."

Carol turned away from the demon and back to the camp fire, thinking if that was the right thing to do.

Suddenly a rustle in the woods startled the group.

"What was that?" Beth said in a panic, hoping it wasn't a Walker.

"It could be a lot of things," Daryl stated, being calm about the situation. There were a lot of things that rustled around the woods at night. You get used to the noise when you're out hunting, "It could be a raccoon or a possum."

Sesshōmaru looked towards the noise and used his demonic sense of smell to identify it, "A bobcat," he told the group. "The smell of corpses is far from this area," he informed, hoping that would put Sophia and the rest of the human's nerves.

"We're okay here Beth," Kagome assured the young woman. "We have our special guard dog watching out for us." Sesshōmaru growled towards the priestess. "See," she pointed out lightly laughing, even Daryl snorted in amusement at the exchange.

Beth became a little more at ease, but Lori and Maggie were still a little unconvinced.

"Maybe we should go," Maggie voiced her opinion.

"The last thing we need is to be running around in the dark," Rick scolded her.

"Don't panic," Hershel told his eldest daughter.

Maggie glared at her father, "I'm not sitting here waiting for another herd to come through."

"Didn't you hear? There isn't a Walker around here," Souta snapped at the farmer's daughter, "Now quit scaring Sophia and the rest of us, will ya."

Kagome smirked at her little brother and his protectiveness of Sophia, who was blushing a small hint of red.

Sesshōmaru noticed the action too, but didn't utter a word against it. He'd witnessed Souta's behavior and actions around Sophia. The boy may not be worthy of his charge yet, but he was taking a step in the right direction. 'We'll see how he does in the days ahead,' the demon decided.

Maggie wasn't going to listen to the young Higurashi since her paranoia was getting the best of her. "We need to move, now," she told Rick.

"Nobody is going anywhere," Rick ordered harshly at her and looking at the rest of the group. "I'm trying to keep this group together. Alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ sake!" he said in anger.

His confession caught everyone's attention.

Kagome recalled what she felt earlier in Rick's soul. 'That's what happened,' she realized, 'He killed Shane in self-defense.'

Carl, Glenn and Maggie looked at their leader in disbelief what he'd told them.

"You saw what he was like," Rick continued talking about Shane, "How he pushed me. How he compromised us. How he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice."

Carl didn't know what to do with what his father was saying. He'd seen Shane come back as a Walker, he had to shoot him in the head to protect his father. But in reality, Shane wanted to kill his dad all along. 'They were right,' Carl realized, thinking of what Souta and Sophia had told him back at the farm. Carl started crying, finally realizing the truth. Lori held her son and tried to sooth him. Souta and Sophia looked at one another before they got up and went over to comfort their best friend.

Rick ignored his son's cries and kept talking. "Shane was my friend...But he came after me. My hands are clean."

Kagome nodded in understanding. She figured if Shane had come back alone, that she or Daryl would have killed him too. 'This is our family, and we're going to protect it.'

"Maybe you people are better off without me," Rick kept talking, "Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe-Maybe I'm just fooling myself again. Why don't you go find out for yourselves?" he pointed to the open road, offering anyone the chance to go if they wanted. Nobody moved from their spots. "Go on, there's the door. You think you can do better? Let's see how far you get."

"Don't tempt them, human," Sesshōmaru warned Rick to pick his words carefully.

Surprisingly, Rick didn't care what the demon had to say. "You want to lead this group?" he asked Sesshōmaru harshly, "Cause now's the time to take it."

"When it is necessary, I will," the demon replied with a small glare, "However, you're starting to realize that this coddling you've grown so fond of is useless...My leadership is not needed."

Rick nodded, "Alright then...For the rest of you, let's get one thing straight. You're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore." With his final words, Rick walked away to clear his head.

The group members looked at one another, not sure of what to say.

Things were definitely going to change for this group.

'As long as we survive together.'

 **And that's a wrap for season two. This was defiantly a difficult season for me to write, but I'll be even more challenging in season three with the Governor. And don't even get me started on the current season. But I'll find a way to do it. So what do you guys think? Next time: Winter is over and a new home is found.**

 **Till Then My Readers.**


	15. Home Sweet Home

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Thank you to the awesome reviewers: Sesshiesfangirl, bloodysilverfox, GreenHoneyTea,** **GiggleboxGirlie,** **Celestial Law, yourworldismine,** **KuroKat013,** **Shiori Mayonaka no Yume,** **Spastic Freak, Guest(1), MOONWOLF1234, Guest (2), lifelovelaugh, Kaggie21, Lina03, JABBY (Guest),** **kakashixangela, Guest (3), Bamboo Tora for your kind words of encouragement. And thank you to Celestial Law, Darkangelfirekitsune, Kami0110c, disturbedintothenight, shadowstarxy,** **penguin333, Lina03,** **Aerias-A-Writer, Theias Dream, Beckarena,** **Proxy1980,** **LadyDark, I am a procrastinator, Feline Predator,** **moonsabyss, Guest I Guess,** **Yami Akurei, oOBlackKneazleOo, 10868letsgo, RileeM, Pixiecropse,** **kakashixangela,** **Marrone Noctua, danvicale, haha19,** **Red wolfs, Vcool, armamaril,** **Bamboo Tora,** **, Momoshinju, canalize,** **midnight craving,** **The Knif3writ3r, SyliciaBlack and all of my readers for your support.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Walking Dead in any way shape or form. Not even in my wildest dreams where the handsome protagonists are my love slaves...I didn't say that out loud did I? *insert blush here* Anyway, please don't sue.

Chapter Fifteen: Home Sweet Home

Winter was harsh.

The weather was almost unbearable, and finding food and shelter during a zombie apocalypse was the most challenging thing for the Atlanta survivors. Especially with so many people to take care of, along with a pregnant woman.

Fortunately, Kagome and Sesshōmaru were tremendous assets when it came to perceiving the hidden living and the living dead. Thanks to them, the group was able to stay in places for a decent period of time. The group also didn't need to worry about ambushes, because of Kagome's ability to create barriers and sense living souls.

Other than that, the group tried to survive the harsh weather season the best they could.

Each of them growing stronger and contributing in their own way.

Carl, Souta, and Sophia were growing up into young teenagers, and were becoming more independent. They were trained by Kagome to protect themselves and each other from any threat. And became true assets in serious situations, making Rick, Carol, Daryl, and Kagome very proud.

Kagome and Daryl's relationship had changed a little throughout the winter season. The hunter showed more affection with the priestess when the others were around, since privacy was almost impossible to come by. Whether it was a hand holding or Daryl putting his arm around her near the bonfire. Very small actions that made Kagome smile or blush, and causes the others to tease them mercilessly. It embarrassed Daryl to no end, but Kagome was always there to help calm him down.

Maggie and Glenn were also growing closer in their relationship. They sometimes sneaked away from the group in order to enjoy some 'alone time' with one another. But when things got serious, so did they.

Hershel continued his medical skills to keep everyone healthy as possible, especially Lori. He even began teaching Kagome and Carol a few things just in case of emergencies. In return, Kagome taught Hershel and Carol what she knew about medicinal herbs.

Carol, T-Dog, and Beth, had grown stronger both physically and mentally. All of them contributing to their group in any way they could. Kagome even taught them some self-defense moves she learned from Sango, just in case.

Rick had changed the most of all. He had grown more driven about keeping the group, his new family, safe. But in doing so, Rick had grown colder and less patient. His new way of leading was an adjustment for everyone.

But they fought on to survive with each passing day.

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Rick crept quietly next to the entrance of a house. His appearance had been altered in the past few months. His hair had grown a little longer, and his facial hair was more noticeable.

Taking a good look at the entrance, Rick turned his head, "Well?" he asked turning to the demon and priestess.

Kagome, who was wearing worn dirty jeans and faded blue shirt, with Daryl's red over shirt which was slowly fading with age, scanned the house with her powers. "No living human are in the house," she informed him.

Sesshōmaru swept the area with his nose and ears, "There are three corpses inside. All of them are the living dead."

Rick nodded and signaled for Glenn and Maggie to check the back of the house before he turned to Daryl, T-Dog, Carl, and Souta, "Let's go."

Kagome immediately did her job by creating a barrier around her, Lori, Sophia, Carol, Beth, and Hershel. Daryl gave an aggravated sigh when she did so, knowing he had to work fast so the priestess wouldn't overdo it with her powers.

Sesshōmaru used his demonic speed to search the area for any stray Walkers that were close by.

Inside the house, the men and the boys took down the three Walkers one by one.

Once the area was secure, Souta and Carl went to work on their jobs of salvaging for food in the house. Neither of them found anything accept for a few cans of dog food. Everyone else gathered in the living room of the house to collect themselves for a moment. Carl actually tried to open the cans of dog food to eat, until Rick had stopped him.

There were still lines that the group will not cross.

Luckily, Kagome had an emergency stash of protein bars she'd kept in her back pack. She had found them a few weeks ago, and was excited when she learned that the bars helped a person's stomach feel full. 'Thank you nutty diet fanatics,' she silently praised.

"Dang girl, where you been hiding this stuff?" T-Dog asked when she handed him a bar.

The priestess smiled, "Just wanted to be prepared just in case we were low on food," she explained before giving the chocolate protein bars to the kids, which they ate greedily.

Daryl turned his protein bar down, since he managed to shoot an owl and was in the process of cleaning it. Kagome sent him a glare, wanting to eat something else besides the owl. The hunter gestured for her to give his share to the kids. She couldn't help but smile at his generosity before breaking Daryl's protein bar into pieces to split between Carl, Souta, and Sophia.

After passing out the rest of the protein bars, Kagome got up from her spot and went over to Rick, "Here," she said, handing him his share.

"Not hungry" Rick said in response.

"You haven't eaten in two days," Kagome reminded him harshly.

Giving an annoyed huff, Rick snatched the protein bar and started eating. Kagome gave a satisfied nod and went to sit back next to Daryl and Souta. Before she did, her eyes met with Lori, who mouthed her a thank you.

To say that Rick and Lori's marriage was shaky at the moment was an understatement. So the female Grimes was glad that at least he was listening to the priestess when it came to taking care of himself.

Suddenly, Sesshōmaru burst through the door, "A herd of corpses is coming."

Immediately, everyone was up on their feet, gathered their supplies, and rushed out the door. Carol and Kagome helped move Lori as fast as they could back to the cars, before the priestess ran over to Daryl's motorcycle. She hopped on with practiced ease before they all took off away from the house and the herd that appeared moments later.

Kagome sighed, "We can't keep doing this," she told Daryl. They haven't found a decent place to rest in weeks.

"We don't have a choice," he replied as he sped down the road.

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They drove for almost an hour, before Rick honked for everyone stop so they could regroup.

Everyone got out of their cars and listened to Rick's orders. "You know your jobs. Fifteen and Sixteen, you're on point," he told Carl and Souta, who nodded yes before going up front to keep an eye out for anyone. "Kagome," he turned to her and gestured to Lori, who was inside the car.

"I'm on it," the priestess replied, as she dug into her bag and pulled out the herbs to make a special tea for expecting mothers.

Lori cringed when Kagome got in the car and she saw the familiar ingredients, "Not again."

"Yes again," Kagome said as she crushed up the herb and mixed in the bottle of water, "It's good for you and the baby."

"Just wish it tasted better," Lori couldn't help but complain.

Kagome nodded before handing her the beverage, "I know. Too bad we couldn't find some honey or lemon juice."

Lori sighed, "If only," she said before chugging the tea back. "How is he?" she suddenly asked the priestess after she'd finished the bottle.

"Are you talking about Rick or Carl?" Kagome questioned. Lori's relationship with her husband and son wasn't easy. She felt like Rick hated her the more the baby grew, and her son rarely talks to her anymore. Carl wasn't exactly happy when he learned that Shane was the father of his sibling.

"Both," Lori answered with a shrug.

"Souta's been telling me that Carl's been talking a little more with him and Sophia," the priestess answered, "He even started laughing when they played cards the other day."

Lori nodded, "That's good," she said getting a little teary eyed, "And Rick?"

"He's the same...Still putting the weight of the world on his shoulders," Kagome reluctantly answered.

Lori bowed her head to stare at her belly, rubbing it a little with her free hand to comfort herself. "I wish he didn't," she admitted in a soft voice.

Kagome grabbed Lori's shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze, "It'll be okay, Lori. Just don't pressure Rick into talking. Let him come to you."

The female Grimes nodded, knowing that the priestess was right. "It's funny...Before everything happened, I wanted nothing more than for Rick to argue with me." Kagome raised a brow, confused by the strange wish. "He used to be so calm all the time and it'd get on my nerves...I just wanted him to yell or scream, call me a bitch or something. Anything to show that he cared me and Carl instead of his job...Careful what you wish for, right?"

Before Kagome could reply, someone knocked on the car window. When the priestess saw it was Daryl she scooted out the door and went to stand outside with him. "What's going on?" Kagome asked him.

"Gonna head out and hunt with Rick and Sesshōmaru. That owl and those protein bars didn't exactly hit the spot," Daryl told her.

The priestess nodded, before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. **"Be careful,"** she told him in Japanese.

Daryl knew what she said, since he'd been asking her what a few phrases meant when she spoke with Souta and Sesshōmaru. "You too," he replied before walking away from her.

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Sesshōmaru looked at the young Higurashi as he came back to the car with Sophia next to him. **"Guard her with your life,"** the demon said in Japanese. Souta nodded before grabbing Sophia's hand and leading her to sit in the car with Lori as they waited for the others.

Carol smirked at the demon as he gave a satisfied nod at Sophia's safety. The friendship between her and the demon was a defiantly an interesting one. Sesshōmaru helped Carol become stronger. Teaching her and Sophia how to defend themselves against Walkers, and others who wished to harm them. Still, Sesshōmaru vowed to protect them so they wouldn't have to use the skills they've learned.

The demon taught Carol to be strong, but he made it so they didn't always have to be.

"Look at you," Carol said in a teasing tone to the demon.

Sesshōmaru raised a brow, "What do you mean, Onna?"

"I remember when you didn't let our little girl out of your sight," she explained to him. "You've become quite the softy over these past few months." Carol had grown more comfortable speaking to Sesshōmaru like this as time passed. This new version of Carol was more confident, stronger, and wasn't afraid to show her true self.

"Don't speak such nonsense," Sesshōmaru replied, "The boy needs to learn to protect Sophia if he's courting her. Nothing more."

Carol shrugged, "Whatever you say."

"Come on lets go," Daryl called over to the demon. Sesshōmaru glanced at Carol for a few more moments with an unreadable expression before following the hunter and Rick into the woods to hunt.

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"Oww," Sophia winced as Kagome brushed her hair. The two of them, plus Lori and Carol, were inside the car. All of them waiting for the others to come back with more water and supplies, while Daryl, Sesshōmaru, and Rick hunted. Souta and Carl were outside the car, guarding all the women from Walkers.

"Sorry," Kagome apologized as she continued brushing, "Your hair is so much longer now, so it gets tangled more easily. You need to take better care of it." Sophia's hair had grown down to the bottom of her shoulders. Kagome asked if the little blonde would like for her to put French braids in her hair, which was why she was tangling out the girl's hair.

"I keep telling her," Carol said from the front seat of the car, looking at her daughter lovingly. Sophia had changed so much. She had grown a little bit more muscle, and wasn't so shy anymore. She was braver, stronger, and a growing into a young woman. Carol never would have dreamed that she and Sophia would become who they were now. Even if they were struggling day by day to survive, they've never been happier.

Sophia looked over at her mother, "Your hairs growing too, Mama." Carol's short hair had grown a little in length. But her body language was the most noticeable difference in her appearance. Her stance and walk showed confidence and forte. That skittish mouse that everyone had met in the Quarry was gone forever.

"I think it's cute," Lori said in agreement with Sophia, enjoying the small girl talk.

"At least you guys can braid your hair," Kagome playfully whined to Sophia, "Daryl won't let me do anything with mine anymore." Simply brushing your hair was now a luxury that not everyone had time to take care of. Even Souta and Carl's hair were growing like crazy. One day, Kagome got so sick of her constantly tangled hair that she came close to cutting it off with a knife before Daryl stopped her.

Sophia giggled at the memory of Daryl's grumpy face when he argued with Kagome about it, "Is he still mad?"

"No sweetie," Kagome replied assuring her.

"Sesshōmaru's lucky," Carol suddenly voiced, "His hair doesn't grow and he doesn't have to brush it."

Lori nodded running a few fingers over the lazily done side braid she had, "Is that a demon thing?"

Kagome finished Sophia's braids and thought it over, "I don't know. It might be...Just another thing to add to the 'why Sesshōmaru is superior' list."

The woman laughed before Sophia thought of something, "But what about T-Dog? Why is he bald while everyone else's hair is growing?"

Before anyone could answer, the rest of the group had returned with supplies. Including, Rick, Daryl, and Sesshōmaru. From the look of the hunting party's face, even though they came back empty handed, looked like they just found a major haul.

The women exited the car and gathered with the rest of the group.

"What'd you find?" Carol asked the men curiously.

Rick looked at the rest of the group with determination in his eyes. "The answer to our problems."

Kagome raised a brow, 'What in the world did they find out there?'

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A prison.

That's what the men had found.

Any sane person would be against even thinking about staying in such a dreadful place.

But the prison couldn't be more perfect.

Stone walls. Tall fences. A yard.

In all honesty, their portably wasn't a safer place to be in a zombie apocalypse.

There was just one little problem.

The prison Walkers.

There were Walkers all over the prison yard, wearing prison jumpsuits.

The group would have to take those out first.

Rick pulled out the cutters, and began breaking a hole in the fence, while the others kept watch at the Walkers that were nearby.

Sesshōmaru grabbed a hold of Sophia and put her on his back. He lifted up Lori bridal style and jumped over the wired fence, landing in the walk way between the prison yard and the outside. The demon placed them down, once he realized the fenced in walkway was secure.

Everyone else, shimmied inside the gap that Rick had made in the fence. Once inside, Daryl and Glenn tied off the hole with some strong wire that they'd found while salvaging for supplies.

The group stayed close together as they jogged down the walk way until they found where the fence opened up to the prison yard.

Rick glanced at the area, and nodded, "It's perfect. If we can close that gate," he pointed to the open fence that went to the prison, "We can prevent more Walkers from coming in. We can take out these Walkers. We'll have the field by tonight."

"How do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked their leader.

"I can do it," Glenn offered, "I'm the fastest." Sesshōmaru sent the Korean a small glare. "I mean, the fastest human," he quickly corrected.

Maggie shook her head in protest, "That's a suicide run."

"Sesshōmaru can have my back," Glenn figured, "Tensuiga is the best weapon we've got."

The demon nodded, "Once the gate is closed, I can kill the corpses more swiftly."

Rick shook his head, "No. I want all of you to draw as many Walker's as you can at the other end of the fence," he pointed to the area he desired, "Start taking them out with your weapons. Daryl and Carol, check that far tower for Walkers. Hershel, Carl, and Souta you check this one...I'll run for the gate."

Everyone nodded, taking their knives, blades, and other made weapons to take the Walkers.

Kagome stayed behind with Rick, Lori, and Sesshōmaru. The leader looked at the priestess with pleading eyes to keep the promise she made at the beginning of winter. It was to stay by Lori's side whenever a large group of Walkers was close so she could use her barrier to protect her.

"Ready?" Lori asked her husband.

Rick nodded before Lori and Kagome opened the fence into the prison yard.

Once Rick dashed out with Sesshōmaru following him, Kagome and Lori quickly closed the gate and locked it.

Meanwhile, the others were yelling and screaming to grab the prison yard Walker's attention. A lot of the undead started growling and went to the fence, trying to get to the closest living beings they've seen in months.

Inside the yard, Sesshōmaru unsheathed his sword and took out all the Walkers that were close to Rick. The leader ran to the gate, closed it, and locked it with a 'lock' that the group had made for the mission. "Got it," he yelled to the demon.

Sesshōmaru nodded before pointing to the tower next to Rick. Understanding the message, Rick opened the door to the tower, killed the Walker that was hiding inside, and went inside the tower to safety.

"He made it," Carol said from the top of the tower, watching the whole thing.

Daryl nodded next to her, also impressed. "Do it!" the hunter called out to the demon.

Sesshōmaru raised the Tensuiga at the approaching Walkers. With his demon speed, he swiftly ran through out the yard and slashed every Walker in half. Tensuiga killed all of the Walkers, with just once slice, no head shot needed. The demon was only asked to use this tactic in dire circumstances like these. Sesshōmaru once suggested of using his technique to slay a hundred of the undead with one swing. However, since the virus infected all the living, the group wasn't convinced that they wouldn't be affected by the attack. Since there was no safe way of testing that theory, Sesshōmaru agreed not to use it at all.

Once the last Walker in prison yard was dead, Sesshōmaru nodded to the others that it was safe to enter.

Kagome smiled, "Way to go Lord Fluffy," she called out happily, which received a growl from the demon. The others also cheered at their accomplishment, as they went into the prison yard. She turned to the pregnant woman in concern, not knowing if the stress was getting to her, "You alright?"

Lori nodded, "I haven't felt this good in weeks," she admitted with a smile.

Sophia and Souta ran around the yard freely, "This is amazing," Sophia cheered out.

"We haven't had this much space since we left the farm," Carol said giddily, looking at the fenced field.

T-Dog actually started laughing, "Wahoo!"

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It was night time when the group finally settled down.

They moved the cars close to the gate, where a tipped over bus blocked the entry way. They took all the dead Walker bodies to the corner of the yard and burned them.

Now, they had a small fire and ate the food that Daryl and Rick hunted later that night. Mainly squirrels and rabbits. Rick was scanning the fences, while Daryl stood watch at the gate and Sesshōmaru was outside taking out the other stray Walkers hidden by the trees.

"Just like mom used to make," Glenn commented, eating the last meat on the bone.

Carol gathered some cooked meat in a bowl and handed it to Kagome, "Here you go."

"Thanks," the priestess said thankfully before heading over to the knocked over bus where Daryl stood watch.

The hunter saw her coming, and helped Kagome up on the bus so she could stand next to him.

"Here," Kagome handed him the bowl of food.

"M'fine," Daryl lied to her.

The priestess glared at him, "Not this time, Tenshi. You need to take care of yourself too."

Daryl snorted, "Look who's talkin'," he said, while gesturing to her skinny from. Kagome had lost weight from the lack of food and using her holy energy. Daryl had fought with the priestess so many times about pushing herself like she had on the farm. Both of them would yell and scream at one another until both of them would get fed up and walk away. Although the couple always made up by the morning, the issue was never resolved.

Kagome sighed in mild irritation, "I came to give you food because I know you wouldn't eat otherwise. Not to fight with you again."

The hunter bit his tongue, not wanting to argue again either. Instead, Daryl reluctantly accepted the food and began eating. He didn't realize how hungry he was until the warm food hit his stomach.

The priestess smiled triumphantly, "Thank you."

Daryl glared at her, but held no malice behind it. "So what do you think?" he asked after a few moments of silence, gesturing to the prison.

Kagome turned to look at the prison, "It's a good of place as any, I guess. Anywhere can be home when you have the people you love around you."

The hunter paused mid chew when the priestess said the word love, before continuing his meal. Kagome missed the action since she was looking around the prison and the group. Daryl didn't hear the 'L' word growing up. Hearing Kagome say the word so casually was so strange to him. Not wanting her to see his discomfort, Daryl sucked the meat juice off his fingers and started to climb off the bus. "Let's head back," he said crawling off the side of the tipped over vehicle. Kagome tilted her head and watched him as he climbed down. "What?" he asked, noticing her gaze.

She shrugged, "Just enjoying the show," she said boldly referring to his backside. Maybe she inherited more of Miroku's dirty minded traits then she thought.

Daryl glared at her, "Stop," he warned her, again with no true malice in his voice. Once he was on the ground he opened his arm and gesture for the priestess to come down.

Kagome sat down and scooted to the bus's edge before falling into Daryl's arms before he gently placed her on the ground.

Both of them gazed into each other's eyes before the hunter quickly smashed his lips against hers, enjoying the small bit of privacy they had. Kagome couldn't help but lightly moan from the contact of Daryl's tongue brushing against her own.

"You're public affection is repulsing," Sesshōmaru's voice interrupted the couple's make out session. The demon had just hopped over the fence and landed next to the couple.

Daryl pulled back from Kagome, grateful that the darkness could hide the embarrassment on his face.

Kagome was just as mortified and glared at the demon, "Stop doing that," she snapped at him. 'This is the fifth time for Kami sake,' she grumbled to herself about the number of times Sesshōmaru had caught her and Daryl having a little alone time.

The demon said nothing as he made his way to the camp fire.

The priestess looked at Daryl apologetically, "Sorry."

Instead of being mad, the hunter simply grabbed her hand. "Come on," he said, while pulling her from behind the bus and back to the others.

As the couple got closer to the fire, they heard Beth singing.

" _So fill to me, parting glass._

 _Good night and joy be with you all."_

Kagome smiled at the blonde as she sang. She sat down on the ground to get comfy so she could hear more of the song. Daryl sat next to her, still holding onto her hand, brushing his thumb over her fingers.

Souta watched the action between the hunter and his sister, and slowly sneaked his hand over to Sophia's. He squeezed it affectionately, causing her to turn and smile at him and squeeze his hand back.

Rick eventually came back from the fences and sat next to Lori and Carl.

As Beth continued to sing her song, Maggie joined her.

" _Oh, all the comrades,_

 _That e're I had._

 _We're sorry for my going away._

 _And all the sweethearts, e're I had,_

 _Would wish me one more day to stay._

 _But since it fall unto my lot,_

 _That I should rise and you should not._

 _I'll gently rise, and softly call,_

 _Good night and joy be with you all._

 _Good night and joy be with you all."_

Hershel smiled at his youngest daughter, "Beautiful."

Everyone nodded in agreement, enjoying the small moment of peace.

Of course, Rick had to bring the group back to reality.

"Better all turn in," their leader ordered, "I'll take watch tonight. Got a big day tomorrow."

Everyone's gazes turned to him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Glenn voiced his confusion.

Rick sighed before speaking, "Look, I know we're exhausted. This was a great win...But we all got to push just a little bit more." He looked over at the Walkers at the prison. "Most of the Walkers are dressed as prisoners and guards. This place must have fell pretty early. It could mean that the supplies may be intact. They'd have an infirmary, a commissary."

"An armory?" Daryl voiced, realizing that Rick was right.

"That be outside the prison itself, but not too far away," Rick answered, "The Warden's office would have info on the location. Weapons. Food. Medicine. This place could be a gold mine."

Hershel wasn't so sure, "We're dangerously low on ammo. We'd be out before we make a dent.""

"That's why we got to go in hand to hand," Rick answered before looking to the priestess, "We're going to need you with us."

Before Daryl could protest, Kagome answered for herself, "Alright."

Rick nodded in appreciation, "After all we've been through I know we can do this. I know it...Those asshole's don't stand a chance." With that said, Rick left to stand guard by the fences.

The group members looked at one another nervously, before getting ready to turn in for the night.

Daryl scowled at Kagome for agreeing to go with Rick, while she glared right back at him. After a brief staring contest, the hunter gave up and laid down with a huff. The priestess leaned over and kissed his check. "It'll be fine," she promised him.

It took a few moments for the hunter to reply, "Better be."

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Meanwhile Sesshōmaru walked with Rick to speak with him, "You're asking a lot from your pack."

Rick nodded, "I know I am. But it's worth the risk. We're too exposed in this field." The leader halted and turned to the demon, "Are the woods secure?"

"For now," the demon answered.

"Good," Rick said satisfied before he noticed Lori coming over to talk with him, "Will you stay and guard the others when we're inside?"

Sesshōmaru nodded before leaving to let the leader deal with his wife as she approached them.

As the demon walked around the yard, his senses began to pick up something from inside the prison.

A faint presence.

As Sesshōmaru concentrated to find the source, his eyes grew red and he growled lowly to himself.

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Meanwhile, miles away from the prison, three Walkers stood motionlessly inside of a drug store.

Suddenly, the sound of a bell from the buildings front door hit their undead ears. The Walkers moved at the noise, trying to identify the source.

"Meow," the sound of a cat caught the Walkers full attention.

A two tailed cat walked casually down the aisle, drawing the Walkers away from the door. The Walkers gluttony spiked at the sight of something with heartbeat in their path. One Walker, closer than the other two, nearly grabbed the feline before the cat swiftly dodged the undead hand.

Before the next Walker tried to grab the cat, a sword sliced the Walker's head clean off. Before the remaining two Walkers could turn their heads were swiftly severed, making their bodies drop with a thud.

Michonne looked at the three Walkers in disgust, as she shook the blood off her sword and put it back on its sheath.

"Meow," the two tailed kitten called out as she walked up to the sword wielder, with two packets of aspirin in her mouth.

Michonne smiled at the feline and kneeled down to grab the item and scratch underneath her loyal companion's chin, "Thank you, Kilala."

The cat demon purred at the attention of her mistress before her demonic ears heard the sounds of Walker's grunting. She hissed at the undead severed head that was still alive.

Michonne nodded in agreement of the demon's detest, "Let's get out of here. Andrea's waiting."

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In the morning, Rick woke everyone up and gathered around the fence entrance. "Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog, and Maggie. You're with us," he gestured to himself and Kagome, "The rest of you stay here."

The group chosen walked up to the gate, "Remember, stay in formation. Keep Kagome in the center."

The priestess nodded, although she was slightly frustrated. Kagome hated that she couldn't fight and use a barrier at the same time. Her holy powers required all of her concentration when it came to holding up a barrier. 'It'll keep the others safe,' she had to remind herself.

"Ready?" Hershel asked as he grabbed the locks on the gate.

Rick nodded as his signal to open the gate.

The old man opened the locks and the mission began.

Rick entered first and struck a Walker with his machete.

T-dog and Glenn entered next with their weapons out and ready, followed by Maggie.

Kagome entered closely behind them and used her holy powers to create a barrier around herself and the others.

After Daryl entered the gate, with a knife in hand, before Hershel closed and locked the fence.

In the center of the formation, Kagome watched as the others took out the Walker's one by one. They would remained in the barrier until a Walker was within grabbing distance, so they could stab the Walker's brain.

A few of the undead managed to brush against the barrier, making Kagome wince.

"Get tight. Get tight," Glenn told the others since Maggie and Daryl were getting to close outside the barrier.

"Don't break rank," Rick ordered.

Meanwhile, back in the prison yard, the others were making noises to grab the other Walker's attention, so they could stab them though the holes of the fence.

Kagome hated feeling so useless, and began grabbing her knife to take down the Walker coming towards them.

"Don't," Daryl told her, before he grabbed the Walker and jabbed his knife up the base of its throat, to stab its brain.

"Get back," Rick ordered as the huddled group continued walking forward. "We're almost there," he said in mild delight before he turned the corner and saw a huge problem.

A large group of Walkers was packed in a corner behind an opened fence.

"Stop," Rick whispered harshly, causing everyone to halt.

Unfortunately, that was the moment when Walkers dressed as armored prison guards caught sight of the group.

"Oh no," Kagome whispered when saw these particular Walkers.

Daryl pulled out his cross bow and shot at one of the protected Walkers heads, only to have the bolt bounce off the Walker's helmet.

The formation broke, and T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie tried to take down the numerus armored Walkers.

Kagome dropped her barrier, since the others scattered, pulled out her knife and jabbed an unarmored Walker in the side of its head.

"Daryl! Kagome!" Rick called out.

The priestess turned and saw the leader of their group try to kill and push back the Walker's in the corner to close the gate. Kagome ran towards Rick, Daryl came up behind her and tried to close the gate. The priestess placed a barrier around the three of them to help push the remaining Walkers back. "Hurry!" she told Daryl and Rick.

Rick pulled out the lock, similar to the one at the prison yard, from his pocket and locked the gate. This allowed Kagome to put her barrier down and help the others with the rest of the armored Walkers.

Once Maggie figured out how to get passed the helmet of the armored Walkers, everyone followed her example and killed the rest of the remaining undead.

Kagome started panting heavily from the adrenaline rush and the amount of holy power she used. She looked at all the corpses on the ground and sighed in relief.

They had done it.

"You okay?" Daryl whispered with worry. The priestess nodded, not trusting her voice.

Glenn started headed back to the prison yard to let the others inside.

"Wait," Rick cautioned.

"What?" asked Glenn, "The area's secure, isn't it?"

Daryl shook his head, "Not from the look of that courtyard," the hunter pointed to the corner where they just trapped the Walkers. He then looked to the Walker that Kagome had slain earlier, "And that's a civilian."

Kagome shrugged, "She could have been a visiting an inmate at the time."

T-Dog wasn't so sure, "Or the interior of could be overrun from Walker's outside the prison."

"If there's walls down what are we gonna do?" Glenn asked Rick, "We can't rebuild this whole place."

"We don't have to do that," Kagome voiced, "We don't need the whole building."

Rick shook his head, "We can't risk a blind spot. We have to push in," he said before looking at the priestess, "Kagome up front with me. Be ready with a barrier."

Kagome nodded as she walked cautiously next to Rick as they entered inside the prison. Daryl was right behind her, knife out and ready to defend her at a moment's notice.

The hallways had no lights, but a few windows allowed the sunlight to shine through. The prison block smelled like rotting corpses. But from the looks of it, there were no Walker's around. Rick had found a set of keys to open the closest cellblock.

Rick, Daryl and Kagome searched inside the prison cells for any undead, but only two Walker were found locked securely inside their cells.

This cellblock wasn't the perfect place stay with the dead bodies and the trash ground.

But it was nothing the group couldn't clean up.

They had done it.

For now, they had found a safe place.

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An hour later, T-Dog and Daryl began moving the corpses out of the cellblock while Kagome straighten up a few prison cells. She was working on the cleanest cellblock for Lori, so she would be more comfortable. The sound of loud thumping occasionally hit her ears whenever Daryl rolled a corpse off the rail from the second floor.

"So what do you think?" Rick asked everyone, after Glenn and Maggie went to retrieve them from the prison yard.

"Home sweet home," Glenn muttered.

"For the time being," Rick assured him.

Lori looked at the cells, "It's secure?"

"This cellblock is," he answered her.

"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asked curiously.

Rick shook his head, "In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and the infirmary."

Sesshōmaru hung back at the eating area, staring at the locked prison door that led to the rest of the building. The presence he had felt last night was stronger in this room. His eyes slowly began to go red.

"Lord Sesshōmaru?" Sophia asked, bringing the demon back to a calmer mind. The little blonde had stopped referring to the demon as Mr. Akuma not long after they left the farm.

Sesshōmaru's eyes went back to normal and gave Sophia an assuring look. "I will remain on guard outside," he told the group before stepping outside to get fresh air.

"We sleep in the cells?" Beth couldn't help but ask her leader.

Rick nodded, "Found some keys on some guards. Daryl has a set too."

Souta, Carl and Sophia were looking at the cells with interest.

"I call the top bunk," Souta claimed loudly as he ran into a cell and hopped up top.

Carl looked at his best friend in disbelief as he rushed into the same cell, "No fair."

"I ain't sleepin' in no cage," Daryl muttered to the others, "I'll take the perch."

Kagome shook her head at the hunter's stubbornness before as she stuck her head out of the cells, "Up here Lori."

The heavily pregnant woman waddled up the stairs and over to the cell, grateful that it was somewhat sanitary, and sat down on the bottom bunk. Carol sat down next to her as they soaked in where they were.

A stoned wall and gated, save haven.

It made the women in the cell smile giddily.

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"I've never been in prison before," Sophia voiced as she entered Souta and Carl's cell. Whenever they camped out on the road, the boys always shared their own space together.

"Me either," Souta said dangling his feet from the top bunk, purposely trying to annoy Carl.

Carl got up from the bottom bunk and lightly punched Souta's foot, "Quit it," he muttered before looking at Sophia. "At least these are better than the storage units."

The blonde girl nodded while she grimaced at the memory, "Those were so gross."

"Sophia," Carol called form the second floor, "Come on up. Let's get some sleep."

"Okay," Sophia called back up. She looked over at the boys, her eyes lingering a little longer at Souta, "Bye guys."

Souta watched her go, "Bye."

Carl snickered at the young Higurashi, "Why don't you just tell her you like her?" he asked quietly, not wanting the adults to hear them.

Souta and Sophia were friendlier towards each other, but the young Higurashi had never actually voiced his feelings.

Souta shrugged, "I've never been good with...ya know...girls."

"Have you asked Kagome?" Carl asked leaning on the top bunk.

"No," he all but yelled shaking his head in major protest, "Last time I asked my sister for advice on a girl, it embarrassed me to no end. It was brutal."

Carl winced at the thought, "Well, maybe you should ask Daryl?"

"No way," Souta screeched, "The last time I asked one of my sister's boyfriends for dating advice," he didn't finish and physically shuddered at the memory of him screaming 'I love you' at Inuyasha as practice. "No. Never again."

Carl wasn't sure what Souta was thinking of, but he secretly wish he'd seen it since it was probably hilarious.

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Michonne walked swiftly through the street, with Kilala on her shoulder. Not drawing attention to herself from the nearby Walkers. She walked this way all the way back to the butcher place where she and Andrea were staying.

The two chained Walkers Michonne 'owned' were tied up and started to act rowdy at the sight of her. Ignoring them, Michonne walked into the meat locker where she left Andrea on the sleeping bag and found it empty.

Kilala suddenly jumped off Michonne's shoulder and walked over to where Andrea was hiding out of the meat locker.

"What are you doing out here?" Michonne asked kneeling down next to the blonde woman.

"I needed some light," Andrea admitted weakly, while enjoying the light from the window. Her sickly form taking a turn for the worst.

Kilala meowed in sympathy for the blonde woman and rubbed her body next to the woman's head. Andrea moaned at the comfort from the little demon cat.

Michonne helped Andrea sit up and gave her the aspirin that she and Kilala had found, along with water from the water bottle. She then rubbed the somewhat cool bottle across the blondee's forehead.

"How is it out there?" Andrea asked her.

"The same. It's quiet," Michonne answered her.

Andrea shook her head, seeing the lie on the woman's face, "You liar."

Michonne sighed, "We should go in a few days."

The blonde shook her head, "You should go." Michonne protested, but Andrea kept talking, "I'll just slow you down. I can take care of myself. I saved your ass all winter, didn't I?"

Michonne smiled lightly, glad that Andrea's sense of humor was still intact. Suddenly Andrea started coughing, sounding worse than the night before, making Michonne frown.

"Just go," Andrea yelled after her coughing fit, "I won't have you dying for me...Good soldier won't leave your post...Screw you."

Michonne scowled at her, "We'll go in a few days," she repeated.

Andrea glared, "If we stay...I'll die here."

After a few minute staring contest, Michonne sighed and looked to Kilala, "You'll have to carry her."

Kilala meowed before transforming into her full demon form. Michonne helped Andrea onto the large demon's back, before gathering their belongings and pet Walkers. Once they were set, Michonne dragged their Walker's out as she took the front, Kilala walking slowly behind her, careful not to let a resting Andrea fall off her back.

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"Excuse me," Kagome told Daryl, who was sitting on the perch while cleaning and sharpening his knife. The priestess was dragging a mattress from one of the cell's bunk beds to Daryl's spot. The hunter stood up so that she put the mattress down.

"Thanks," he said before sitting back down when she was done.

"I should be dragging you back to sleep in one of the cells," Kagome pointed out as she sat in front of him, "But why waste my breath."

Daryl sent her glare, "I have my reasons."

"I know," she said, telling him with her eyes that he didn't have to explain. Even after being together all these months, Kagome still knew very little about Daryl's past. He only opened up when he felt it was important at that moment. Kagome respected this and didn't want to push him, but she guessed that the prison reminded Daryl about Merle. "You should get some sleep," the priestess said, about to stand up so she could go to her cell.

Daryl suddenly grabbed Kagome's hand, stopping her. He gently pulled her back down and adjusted himself so Kagome could lay next to him. The hunter wasn't going to miss a chance to hold her in his arms, without having to remain alert.

Kagome didn't protest, wanting to not miss this rare moment either. So she laid her head and hand on Daryl's chest, trying to get comfortable. She could feel the hunter lazily put his arm around her, while the other went behind his head.

With the sound of Daryl's heartbeat against her ear, Kagome relaxed and fell asleep.

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The next morning, the people who volunteered to adventure further into the prison gathered around a table outside of the cell block.

All the weapons the group could find were placed on the table.

"Not bad," Daryl voiced looking at their haul.

Rick looked at everything, "Flashbangs, CS Triple-Chasers. Not sure how they work on Walkers, but we'll take'em."

Kagome looked at the armor that was brought to them. Glenn had taken them off of the Walkers they encountered yesterday.

Daryl lifted up one of the helmets. Walker guts were dripping out of the inside of the helmet, "I ain't wearin' this shit."

"We could boil'em," T-Dog suggested while lifting up a glove, which was also dripping with Walker blood.

"Ain't enough firewood in the whole forest. No," the hunter continued to protest.

Kagome nodded as she picked up one of the long night beaters, "I'm not wearing it either."

"Doesn't matter. You ain't goin' with us," Daryl quickly informed her.

The priestess halted in her actions, along with everyone else in the room.

"What?" Kagome asked the hunter, since she was completely taken off guard by this information.

"You heard me," Daryl said taking the weapon from Kagome's hand and placing it back on the table, "You ain't goin'"

"You can't be serious," Kagome snapped at Daryl.

Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog looked at one another, showing their obvious discomfort with Kagome and Daryl fighting openly in front of them. Whenever they had a disagreement in the past, they would at least attempt to hide it. This time it was just plain awkward.

"I'm dead serious," he replied, "You're stayin' right here."

The priestess glared at him, "But I'm one of the best fighters here."

"And you used too much energy yesterday," Daryl snapped back at her, "Ain't gonna let you endanger the group!"

T-Dog winced at the hunter's words, while Maggie's jaw dropped, and Glenn shook his head and muttered, "Dude."

Kagome gaped at Daryl in disbelief, "You honestly think I would do that?!"

"You're stayin'!" the hunter repeated.

The priestess glared at him, "No! And you can't make me!"

"But I can," Rick intervened in the fight. Kagome looked at the group's leader in disbelief. "Daryl's right. I relied on you a lot over the past few days."

"And you do look a lot paler than usual," Hershel voiced his concerns.

Kagome looked at the two men, feeling slightly betrayed, "I can handle it."

"Lying doesn't suit you, Miko," Sesshōmaru voiced from the perch above them. He wasn't going inside the prison since he didn't want to get closer to what he sensed inside. So he agreed to stay and guard the women and children.

Knowing she was outnumbered, Kagome sighed in defeat. "Fine!" she spat and stormed back into the cells block and laid down on hers and Daryl's perch.

A few moments later she felt a hand shake her shoulder.

"What?" Kagome snapped, obviously upset.

Daryl winced at her tone and sighed as he leaned over to talk to her, "I'm sorry for what I said...Just worried about you."

Kagome turned over to look at him, "Did you have to do that in front of the others?"

"Had to get you to agree," he admitted, knowing that he humiliated her.

"It was a dirty move," Kagome voiced, "You forced Rick's hand. And mine."

"I know," Daryl admitted, "But...I need you safe."

Kagome sat up, "And I want you safe. Why do you think I want to go so bad?" she asked rhetorically, "I can help protect you and everyone else."

The hunter leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "We'll be alright," he said before resting his forehead to hers.

The priestess gave a frustrated sigh. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Daryl was right. Kagome was exhausted from all the holy energy she used yesterday. She didn't want to complain when the others were just as tired. So the priestess gave in to the hunter's demands. "Please come back to me, Tenshi," she begged her angel.

Daryl nodded, "Always, Baby Girl," he promised before giving her a small kiss on the lips and left to go with the others.

Beth and Carol came out of their cells to be with Kagome.

"They'll be fine," Carol assured the priestess.

"It's what they do," Beth said in agreement.

Kagome nodded but still wasn't convinced. Of course she knew that the group was capable of protecting themselves without her help.

But she couldn't shake this feeling that something was going to happen.

'Why won't this feeling go away?' Kagome wondered with worry.

 **My my, who or what is putting Sesshōmaru on edge. Just wait and find out. So what do you think? Next time: Prison occupants and a big surprise.**

 **Till Then My Readers.**


	16. Decisions and Changes

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Warning: Chapter contains a lemon. Young readers ye be warned.**

 **As always thank you to my reviewers yourworldismine, DogDemoness108, Guest (1), KuroKat013, Kaggie21,** **Celestial Law, Animelover5689, kakashixangela, Guest (2),** **Deathstarling556, lifelovelaugh, GreenHoneyTea, Spastic Freak, Munyue and 917brat for your kind words. And a huge thank you to: Pokemon-Ranger-Aiko, Betoran, Jay007,** **Scarlatta Rain, AkatsukiLover465, the17thmuse, Lamreal, lyris musette, Shinigami' .Shadow, Disney1Fan1Girl1, I Love Fairytale Endings,** **LadyKakashiSensei,** **YellowRose-For Friendship,** **F0xLdy, , kberly109,** **917brat,** **SuperAwesomeWaffleQueen, eljeha2000, oOArtemisQuinnOoand all of my readers for your support.**

Disclaimer: *Growl snarl snarl growl grunt grunt growl snarl snarl* That's Walker talk for "I don't own Inuyasha or the Walking Dead." So please don't sue.

Chapter Sixteen: Decisions and Changes

It had been over an hour since the group left to explore the prison.

Kagome spent her time by doing some light cleaning. She swept all the trash off the floor and wiped three cell block walls of old blood. So far the prison block was starting to look somewhat decent.

Suddenly the sound of screaming and crying caught Kagome's attention.

"Open the door!" Rick yelled into the cell block, "It's Hershel!"

The priestess immediately dashed out the cell block door and gasped at what she saw.

Hershel was being wheeled on a trolley by Glenn, Rick and T-Dog, with Maggie crying as she held her father's hand.

Hershel's lower leg had been cut off.

"Oh my God," Carol said in horror.

"Daddy!" Beth cried at the sight of her wounded father.

For a few awful moments, Hershel's face morphed into Sango's dead face making Kagome's go pale. Fortunately, Sophia's loudly gasping at the scene brought the priestess out of her memories. Kagome took Souta, Carl, and Sophia and pushed them to the side, "You three stay back," she ordered, telling herself that Hershel needed immediate help. "What happened?" the priestess demanded to know from the group.

"He got bit in the leg," T-Dog explained as they wheeled an unconscious Hershel into one of the cells, "Rick hacked the leg off to try and keep the infection from spreading."

The priestess would have thought the idea was brilliant if the method wasn't so horrifying.

"Oh my God," Beth muttered going completely pale as the others moved her father's body onto the bottom bunk, "Will he turn?"

Rick shook his head, "I don't know."

"Maybe you got it in time," Carol said, as she stuffed a pillow underneath Hershel's wounded leg. Kagome began folding a sheet and handed it to Carol so she could hold it over the gashing wound. "We need bandages," Carol told the others.

"We used everything we had," Glenn informed her.

"Go get my bag," Kagome told Maggie, "We have herbs to prevent infection."

The brunette nodded and ran to get the priestess backpack. Lori was holding on to Beth, telling the blonde that that her father was going to be okay.

"You think that'll be enough?" T-Dog asked her.

"I don't know," Kagome said unsure.

Hershel had lost so much blood already, so there was no guarantees.

Rick looked to Carol, "Can either of you stabilize him?"

"We got to keep the leg elevated," Carol said, using what knowledge Hershel and Kagome had taught her. "We need a pillow here," she told the others.

Maggie came back with Kagome's bag, looking at her father's wound. "He's already bleed through the sheets," she said in horror.

Kagome had another folded blanket ready, "Hold this," she told Maggie. The brunet held the sheet to Hershel's bleeding leg, while the priestess went to the corner of the cell and quickly made a paste from the herbs.

"Shouldn't we burn the wound to clot the blood?" Glenn suggested.

Carol shook her head, "No, the shock could kill him. And it won't stop the arteries from bleeding. We can only keep it dressed so it'll heal on its own," she said before turning to the priestess, "Kagome are you ready?"

"Got it," Kagome answered as she brushed the paste on a towel. Maggie stepped aside to let the priestess put the towel over Hershel's leg and put the sheets back in place. She looked up at the unconscious old man that she considered a dear friend, 'Oh Hershel, please be okay.'

Suddenly, the sound of men talking hit the group's ears.

"What was that?" Beth asked frightened.

"Prisoners," Rick answered cursing under his breath, "Survivors...Everyone stay put." He walked out of the cell and saw the kids huddled in a corner. Both Carl and Souta were in front of Sophia, shielding her from the possible threat. Rick signaled for all three of them to hide in a cell before he left to deal with the living prisoners.

All six of them.

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Most of the prisoners didn't believe Rick's group when they said that the world that they knew was gone.

To prove it, Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog allowed the prisoners to walk outside to the prison yard.

The biggest prisoner, ironically named Big Tiny, sighed in contentment. This was the first bit of fresh air they had in over ten months.

"Damn the sun feels good," muttered one prisoner named Oscar.

"I hear ya," said another prisoner with shoulder length red hair, tied in a low pony tail. He didn't look older then nineteen years old.

Another prisoner, Axel, looked at all the dead Walkers on the ground. "My God...They're all dead," he said in horror, seeing a few faces that he recognized. Prisoners and guards alike. The red head patted Axel's shoulder in support.

Tomas, another inmate, was unaffected by the sight. "Never thought I'd be so happy to see these fences," he voiced.

The last inmate, Andrew, turned to Rick, "How did y'all get in here in the first place?"

Daryl gestured to the edge of the yard, "Cut a hole in that fence over there by that guard tower."

Andrew raised a brow, "That easy, huh?"

"When there's a will there's a way," Daryl replied.

"I'll bet," said the red headed prisoner, seeing the few Walker bodies outside the fence.

Big Tiny began poking one of the dead Walkers with a stick he had, "What is this? Like a disease or something?"

Rick nodded, "Yeah...And we're all infected."

All the prisoners turned to Rick skeptically.

"What do you mean infected?" Axel demanded to know, "You mean like AIDS or something?"

Daryl rolled his eyes but nodded yes, "If I was to kill you. Shot an arrow in your chest...You'd come back as one of these things," he gestured to a Walker, "It's gonna happen to all of us."

The redheaded prisoner gave an unamused laugh, "Well...That sucks."

Tomas looked at the number of bodies around them, "There ain't no way that this Robin Hood cat is responsible for killing all these freaks."

Andrew nodded in agreement. "There must be fifty bodies out here. Hell look at'em," he pointed to the ones in the yard, "Bastards look like they were sliced in half."

The redheaded prisoner looked at the field, and saw that Tomas was right. Actually it looked like the bodies were taken down almost simultaneously. The young looking prisoner seen such a sight before and instantly knew only one thing, one person, could be responsible for it. "Oh shit!" he said out loud in realization, making the men around him raise a brow. The prisoner turned to Rick in fear, "He's here isn't he?!"

"Who?" Rick asked confused.

The redhead pointed to the yard of dead corpses, "The thing that did that!"

Oscar looked at his young friend concerned, never seeing him act like this before. Not even with the hard ass prisoners that messed with him when the prison was up and running. "You okay man?"

"No!" he snapped, "I've got to get out of here!"

Daryl raised his cross bow and aimed it at the prisoner, "You ain't goin anywhere."

The red head shook his head, "An arrow in my back will be nothing if Sesshōmaru finds me here!"

"Too late for that," the demon said from the corner of the building, startling all the men in the yard.

Tomas raised his gun at the Sesshōmaru's sudden appearance, "The fuck?" in surprise, raising his gun towards Sesshōmaru. The demon lord gave no response to the useless threat the inmate was enforcing.

The gesture would have made Rick, Daryl and T-Dog laugh if it wasn't for the sinister stare that Sesshōmaru was giving to the redheaded prisoner.

The prisoner in question gulped in fear at the sight of the demon, "Hey-hey Sesshōmaru," he greeted nervously.

The dog demon as he began slowly walking towards the redhead.

Andrew and Big Tiny backed away, while Oscar and Axel stayed by their young friend.

"Do you know this guy?" Oscar asked the young redhead.

The young prisoner nodded, "Yeah. We're really old, uhh, acquaintances."

The demon said nothing as he continued walking towards the creature he deeply despised.

"Sesshōmaru," Rick urged the demon to stop, "What's going on?"

The redhead looked at the demon lord a little stunned but was still terrified, "You know these people?"

"They are my companions," Sesshōmaru answered halting a yard away from the prisoner, cracking his knuckles. "But that is unimportant. Since you, will die."

The young prisoner fell to his knees, begging for mercy "Come on, Sesshōmaru. I said I was sorry...And what happened wasn't entirely my fault," he tried to defend himself in a panic.

Sesshōmaru's eye began to go red, and opened his mouth to show his fangs enlarged fangs.

Before any of the men could ask what was going on, Kagome walked outside. Hershel's bleeding was slowing and she wanted to tell the others about it, until she sensed Sesshōmaru's demonic aura spike. "What is going on out here?!" Kagome demanded to know from the men.

"Kagome, get back inside," Daryl hissed at the priestess.

"You should listen to him, Miko," Sesshōmaru growled, not taking his eyes off the the redheaded prisoner. Of course, the priestess presence made the situation more difficult for him to get his way.

The young prisoner's green eyes widened at Kagome's form as she descended down the stairs and onto the basketball court. "It-It can't be," he muttered, standing up on his feet and walking slowly towards her. His fear of Sesshōmaru was almost completely forgotten.

Daryl raised his crossbow at the redhead again, "Back off, Pony Tail."

The prisoner stopped, obviously not wanting to be shot, but his gaze stayed on Kagome in complete bewilderment. "I-I can't believe this...You're alive."

Kagome looked at the young man suspiciously, "Who are you?"

The redhead chuckled, "I don't blame you for not recognizing me. I was just a kid back then...But Kagome, it's me."

Rick looked to Kagome, who was just as surprised as she was that this man knew her name. "You know him?" he asked her.

The priestess slowly walked over, much to Daryl's protest, and stood in front of the young prisoner. There was something about his eyes that did seem familiar to her.

That forest shade of green that continued to stay with after all these years.

Just to be certain, Kagome used her priestess powers to sense his soul and smiled when she found out she was right. "Is it-Is it really you?" Kagome asked with hope in her voice.

The young prisoner nodded, "I've missed you, Mom."

The priestess smiled wider and wrapped her arms around the prisoner's neck in a tight hug, "Shippo!"

Daryl lowered his crossbow, and stared at the two in disbelief.

This prisoner was Shippo?

The young fox demon from Kagome's past.

The orphan she took care of like her own son.

T-Dog smirked at the sight, happy that Kagome found another friend, or family in this case, alive and well.

Rick however, looked at the scene with skepticism.

Sesshōmaru still glared at the fox demon with detest. He silently cursed the priestess's presence, since his respect for her was the only reason that Shippo was still breathing.

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After a long argument with Tomas about where he and the rest of the prisoners could stay. Rick finally agreed to help the prisoners move to another cell block in exchange for half the food that was left in the cafeteria.

By the time the group went into the cafeteria, Rick informed them that he wanted Shippo to move out with the prisoners too.

"Rick, please don't do this," Kagome begged him.

"That's the agreement," Rick said simply. He didn't trust these prisoners, and Shippo counted as one of them.

The priestess grabbed Rick's arm and dragged him to the corner of the cafeteria to speak with him alone. Daryl, T-Dog, and Sesshōmaru guarded the inmates, preventing them from doing anything stupid.

"He was in prison, Kagome," Rick whispered harshly to her. "He's not that innocent little boy you knew anymore."

"You're wrong," she snapped at him. "I can sense Shippo's soul. It holds no darkness or malice." Kagome gestured with her head to Tomas and Andrew, "They're the ones you need to worry about." The darkness on both inmates' souls was alarming. They were the cold hearted murderers.

Her son was the farthest thing from it.

Rick wasn't convinced, "Then why is Shippo in prison, Kagome?"

The priestess shrugged, unsure of the situation herself, "I don't know."

"And why does Sesshōmaru want to kill him if he's so innocent?" Rick pointed out.

"I have my reasons," Sesshōmaru voiced from his spot watching the prisoners, continuously glaring at the fox demon. He could hear Rick and Kagome's conversation as if he were standing next to them.

Shippo would have rolled his eyes at the remark, but Sesshōmaru's glaring made him rethink that decision.

"You done jerking each other off," Tomas called over, "I'm sick of waiting back here."

Rick huffed at Kagome before going to inspect the food in the cafeteria.

Kagome went over to T-Dog and stood next to him.

Axel's arms were folded as he hesitantly looked over at Kagome, "You knew Shippo when he was little?" The priestess nodded as her answer. Axel's soul wasn't menacing like Tomas's or Andrew's, so she wasn't nervous around him. "He's a fine young man. He looked out for me from the real threats that were in this place."

"Me too," Oscar weakly admitted.

Oscar and Axel knew that Shippo was a good kid. He just got into some trouble. In the beginning, they thought Shippo was going to be the one needing help from the dangerous people in the prison. But for some reason, all of the dangerous prisoners were frightened of the small redhead.

Kagome looked over and smiled at her adapted son. She was glad that Shippo had friends even in a low place like this one.

Daryl walked back from the pantry glared at the two men, "Don't talk to her," he warned Axel, standing protectively in front of her.

Axel held up his hands and backed away, "Hey man, I don't mean any harm."

"Daryl its fine," Kagome try to assure him.

The hunter glared at her, "No it's not. And you shouldn't even be here!"

Shippo raised a brow at his adoptive mother and the hunter. "Uhh Kagome, are you two?" he gestured to the both of them.

"Not now," Kagome interrupted the fox demon.

"I wouldn't open that," Tomas voice interrupted, as he warned Rick about opening a walk in freezer.

The sound of Rick gaging and swearing made Kagome wince, 'I don't even want to know what's in there.'

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As Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog began gathering the food to take to the cell block. Kagome walked over to Shippo and pulled him to the side of the room to talk to him in private. The fox demon smiled at her before she gestured to the prison jump suit. "Mind explaining this?" she asked in a mother like scolding tone.

Shippo looked down at his feet in shame before looking back at his mother, "I did a few things I'm not proud of. But I never hurt anyone, Mom. I swear."

"I believe that," she told him, "But you have to tell me what happened Shippo."

The fox demon sighed as he shook his head at his own folly, "I was so stupid...I had some friends. Human and demon friends. And we stole a truck full of valuable stuff in the back and got caught."

"You did what?" Kagome screeched.

"I told you. I was stupid," Shippo repeated, "And bored. So I made a dumb decision. The court's sentenced me here since I'm 'nineteen'," the fox demon said before air quoting his demon age

"You're damn right you were stupid," Kagome told him in disappointment. She could see the honest regret in his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down. "Was that all you did?" she asked to be sure. Shippo nodded yes knowing better then to lie to his mother. "Alright then...But why does Sesshōmaru hate you?"

Shippo's face went pale, looking guiltier for what he did to the demon lord then his law breaking crime. "Ummm," he mumbled while rubbing the back of his head, "Well you see."

Sesshōmaru growled at the corner in warning. He didn't want the fox to admit what he did in his presence or he truly would kill him.

Kagome looked at the demon lord back to her son, 'Shippo, what did you do?'

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Ten minutes later, the group took their share of the food.

Rick, T-Dog and Kagome brought the food back to the cell block, while Daryl and Sesshōmaru hung back to guard the inmates.

"What y'all got?" Carl asked excited, when he opened the door.

"Canned beef, canned corn," T-Dog listed, "Canned cans."

Kagome snickered at his comment. The food may be canned but at least it was still edible. "There's a lot more too," she told Carl in excitement.

"How's Hershel?" they heard Rick ask Lori.

"No fever yet," Lori said in relief, "But his breathing is labored and his pulse is weak...And he hasn't opened his eyes yet."

Rick saw the fear in his wife's eyes and decided to calm it the only way he could think of. "Take my cuffs and put it on him...Just in case."

The priestess looked at the cuffs and shook her head. There had to be something that they could do to help Hershel. 'If only we had more medical supplies,' Kagome thought as she put the food down in one of the cell blocks, to sort it out later.

"Psst, Kagome," Sophia whispered from the cell block opening, and gestured for the priestess to follow her.

Kagome raised a brow but followed the blond girl to the cell next door where Souta was waiting inside. Carl came inside after the priestess and went to stand by his friends.

All of the children had a determined look on their faces.

"What's going on?" the priestess asked them.

"We want to help," Carl said straight out.

Kagome was a bit confused, "Okay, umm, you could help organize the food."

Souta shook his head, "No. We want to help Hershel."

Carl pulled out a large rolled up paper, "I found this in that look out above the eating area when y'all were gone."

Kagome took the item and unrolled in her hands.

It was a map of the prison wing.

"We're in C block, which means that the infirmary is only here," Carl pointed to the room not too far away. "They'll have real bandages and medicine in there, right?"

The priestess shook her head once she realized what the children were asking, "You three aren't going in there alone."

"Then come with us," Sophia urged Kagome, "If we run into trouble, you're barrier will save us."

"You've been training us for months," Souta said to his sister, "We can handle a small run."

Kagome thought over the children's proposal. On the one hand, she knew that Lori, Carol and Sesshōmaru would kill her if she allowed Carl and Sophia to go. Then again, Hershel needed real bandages and antibiotics. The herbs she had could prevent infection but there was still so much that could go wrong.

And Kagome did feel her strength returning to her, so she could use her barriers without feeling too worn out.

"Please," Carl begged her.

The priestess sighed before looking at the children sternly, "This isn't a game."

"We know that," Sophia interrupted, but one glare from Kagome made her stop.

"This isn't a game," Kagome repeated, "This mission could be life or death. Not just yours, but your families too. Do all of you understand?" The children nodded yes, looking at her just as seriously. "Then it's settled...Let's go find that infirmary."

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Rick, Daryl and T-Dog were slowly walking down the hall way with the prisoners. All of them on their way to find a new cell block for the prisoners to use.

"Why aren't you shining the light?" Axel asked, confused about why Daryl isn't using the flash light.

"It'll attract them," the hunter explained, "Besides you'll hear them when they're comin'."

Shippo nodded, "No kidding," he muttered, since his demonic hearing could pick up the moans through the concrete walls.

Suddenly the sound of growling Walkers were coming in their direction.

"They're coming," Axel said nervously.

"Shh," Rick warned him.

Daryl gave them a signal to hold and wait.

Unfortunately, Big Tiny panicked and charged at the Walkers, causing the other prisoners, except Shippo, to attack.

Rick, T-Dog, Daryl, and Shippo watched as the human prisoners tried to kill the Walkers.

Stabbing them in the stomachs, kicking them down to the ground, and screaming at them as they hacked at their bodies.

Doing everything but aiming for the brain like they were told to do.

Shippo slapped his hand to his forehead completely mortified by their stupidity, "Idiots."

T-Dog looked over at Shippo, "So, you're a demon right?"

"Yep," the young fox demon answered, while popping his lips at the 'p'.

"So why didn't you break out of prison at the start of all this?" T-Dog asked. Rick and Daryl turned to the demon, also curious about that.

Shippo shrugged, "Thought it be smarter to stay put. If it was hell inside here, figured outside would be worse."

Rick nodded in reply before looking back at the prisoners. None of them killed the Walkers yet. "Okay, this is getting sad," he admitted before going over to take down the Walkers.

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Thanks to Carl's map, Kagome and the kids had found the infirmary very quickly. There were two Walker's inside, but Kagome and Carl were quick at taking them down. Both of them guarded the entrance, while Souta and Sophia cleared out all infirmary. All the bandages and antibiotics fit in one bag they had found in the room, but it was better than nothing. They were also lucky enough to find a pair of crutches, something that Hershel will definitely need when he woke up.

As they turned down a hallway to return to the cell block, Kagome paused as she spotted a few wardens offices that were untouched by the riots of the prison.

"You coming?" Carl asked Kagome, regaining her attention.

The priestess followed the children as they walked back into the cell block.

Glenn's eyes widened when he saw the medical bag. "I thought you guys were organizing the food."

"We needed this more," Sophia said as Carl dropped the bag on the ground.

Carol looked at all the bandages and looked at her daughter proudly. "Where did you get all this?" she asked the children.

"The infirmary," Carl explained, "There wasn't much but we cleared it out."

Lori felt the exact opposite, "You three went by yourselves?" she asked the children completely horrified.

"Kagome was with us," Souta informed her.

The pregnant woman glared at the priestess, "And you let them go?! Are you crazy?!"

"They would have gone with or without me," Kagome told her, "At least they were responsible enough to tell me before hand."

"What's the big deal?" Carl asked his mother, "We killed two Walkers."

Lori looked from the priestess to her son, "You-Alright, do you see this?" she pointed to Hershel, "This was with the whole group!"

"We needed the supplies and we got them," Carl said, getting a little angry that his mother wasn't grateful for what he'd done.

"And I appreciate that," Lori began to scold her son.

"Then get off my back!" Carl yelled at her.

"Carl!" Beth stopped the boy, "She's your mother. You can't talk to her like that."

Carl glared at his mother for a few moments before walking away, "Whatever."

Souta and Sophia went after the young Grimes to cheer him up.

Carl kicked his bag, which was on the floor, in anger, "She always yells at me when all I do is help the group."

"She's just worried about you," Sophia reminded him.

"She doesn't have to," Carl argued, "I can take care of myself."

Souta shook his head at his friend, who was once again failing to see the bigger picture. "At least you have a mom that's alive and worries about you."

Carl looked his best friend, surprised that Souta had brought that up. Sometimes the young Grimes needed to be reminded just how luck he was to have both his parents. "So-sorry," he apologized to his friend.

"Lori's your mom," Souta stated again, "The world ending doesn't change that."

Kagome knocked on the side wall of the cell, "Everything okay?" The kids nodded as their answer. "You three did a good thing today. I'm proud of all of you."

Carl smiled, glad that at least one adult had said that to him.

"Hey Carl, mind if I borrow the keys for a second," Kagome suddenly asked.

The young Grimes raised a brow, "What for?"

"There's something I want to do. And I can use some help from all of you. What do you say?" she asked them

The children's eyes brightened at the thought of being useful.

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It took a while for the human prisoners to get the hang of aiming for the brain when it came to Walkers.

Shippo was able to perform the act swiftly with his hand made weapon.

One by one, more Walkers came, attracted by the noise that the men were making.

In all the chaos, Big Tiny didn't notice a Walker stab him with a boney handless arm. Forming a gash between his neck and shoulder blade.

Tomas used his gun, to shoot that Walker with no regret about the noise.

"Let me see," Rick demanded, trying to turn Big Tiny around.

"I'm fine," the big prisoner said in denial, "I don't feel a thing."

Shippo grabbed Big Tiny and forced him to the wall, showing the wound. The fox demon knew that a threat was a serious thing to be cautious about, whether it was a friend or foe.

"I'm telling you, I don't feel anything," Big Tiny continued to say, "It's just a scratch."

Rick shook his head, "I'm sorry man."

"I can keep fighting," Big Tiny tried to argue.

"You cut that old man's leg off to save his life," Andrew disputed, "But you won't do it for him?"

Shippo rolled his eyes.

"Look at where it's at," Rick pointed out.

"Guys I'm fine!" Big Tiny argued, "I'm fine. Look I'm not changing into one of those things."

"Look man, there's got to be something we can do," Oscar said, wanting to save a friend. "What if we just lock him up?"

"We can quarantine him," Andrew nodded in agreement. "We got to do something. Why are you all just standing there? We got to save him."

"There's nothing we can do," Rick admitted in regret.

Andrew scowled, "You son of a bitch."

"Calm down, Andrew," Shippo snapped, "Don't you think they would have done that for the old man if that was an option."

"I'm alri-Ahh," Big Tiny was saying before his head met with Tomas's weapon.

Tomas struck Big Tiny over and over for good measure, making sure his fellow inmate was dead.

All the men and the demon looked at Tomas in disbelief.

Daryl saw the look on the Hispanic man's face as he killed his friend.

There was no remorse.

But there was a hint of excitement from his kill.

Shippo saw it too. The fox demon never thought that Tomas would ever go this far, but this changed everything. 'I better keep an eye on him.'

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Sesshōmaru was letting out his anger towards the fox demon on the Walkers on the fence of the prison.

He once promised that if he ever saw that pathetic fox demon again, he'd skin him alive. Unfortunately, since Kagome was here, Sesshōmaru knows he can't do that now.

"Wait," Carol stopped the demon from killing anymore Walkers.

Sesshōmaru halted in his actions outside the fence, "What are you doing here, Onna?"

"I need your help with something," Carol said before looking at the Walker's around him. Once she found the perfect candidate, she pointed to it, "I need you to bring me that Walker to this side of the fence, but leave the midsection intact." Sesshōmaru looked at the petite female Walker coming towards him and looked Carol with a raised brow. "Hershel can't be of much help in his condition when Lori goes into labor," she began to explain. "She had Carl by C-section, which means this baby might need to be too...I need to learn to cut open the abdomen and uterus without hurting the baby."

Sesshōmaru stared at her wordlessly.

Carol waited for him to judge her for such a crazy and somewhat barbaric idea.

Instead the demon wordlessly stabbed the Walker in the head with his Tensuiga, grabbed the body and jumped over the fence to land in front of Carol. He placed the fragile undead creature gently on the ground.

There was no sign of judgement in his eyes over Carol's suggestion.

"You'll need more to practice on," the demon stated.

Carol smiled at him in appreciation, "Thank you."

The demon made no sign of acknowledging her gratitude before jumping over the fence again to retrieve another female Walker.

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Less than twenty minutes later, Rick was scowling at Tomas.

The Hispanic prisoner had intentionally endangered the group and tried to kill Rick by throwing a Walker on him as they tried to take on a group of the undead.

Luckily, Daryl managed to save Rick in time.

"It was coming at me, bro," Tomas explained once it was all over, trying to sound innocent.

Everyone in the group knew that Tomas's excuse was complete shit.

"Yah," Rick said, "Yeah I get it...I get it." The former officer stared at the psychotic killer in front of him. He knew he couldn't risk having such a person live so close to his people.

Rick could hear Lori's parting words echoing in his head, 'You do what you have to, to protect this group. And do it with a clear conscious.'

Rick didn't know if his conscious will be clear after this. But he doesn't have a choice.

"Shit happens," Rick quoted Tomas from his earlier words.

Tomas was quick in his movement, trying to take Rick off guard to kill him.

Rick went to block the attack.

But neither men were quicker than the demon in the room.

Shippo dashed behind Tomas, grabbed his head with his demon hands, and twisted it with all his strength. Tomas died instantly from his broken neck that was twisted backwards, as his body collapsed on the floor with a thud.

Rick, Daryl and T-Dog looked at the fox demon in shock.

"No!" Andrew yelled, before looking at Shippo, "You son of a bitch!" he screamed as he tried to hit the demon with the bat he heled.

Shippo caught the bat with very little effort, and showed the weak human his demonic eyes.

Andrew let go of the bat and tripped on the ground, trying to get away from the being in front of him. "What the fuck are you?!" he yelled before he scrambled to get up and run away. Rick followed quickly after the prisoner.

"On your knees," Daryl ordered, aiming his crossbow at Oscar and Axel. Not trusting them after what Tomas and Andrew tried to do.

"We had no affiliation with what just happened," Axel tried to defend himself, "Tell him Oscar."

Oscar shook his head, "Stop talking, man," he said before quietly walking over to Shippo.

Daryl didn't notice that the fox demon was now sitting on the ground. He raised a brow when he saw the distraught look on Shippo face, and was surprised when he began to whimper as tears fell down the demon's face with is hands radically shaking.

Shippo didn't ever want to, nor did he ever, hurt a human. The fox demon knew that Kagome would be disappointed in him if he even tried. Tomas wasn't an innocent human and Shippo knew what the sick bastard was capable of and he couldn't risk Tomas killing anyone.

Especially his mother.

Shippo reacted out of pure protective instinct.

Still, the action of having to kill a human made him sick to his stomach.

"Hey man," Oscar tried to sooth Shippo by putting a supporting hand on his back, "You did the right thing." Oscar wasn't one hundred percent sure about what he just witnessed with Shippo's eyes. And although his instincts were telling him to be wary or run the opposite direction, Oscar felt sympathy for the young redhead crying on the ground.

Human or not, to Oscar, all he saw was his friend Shippo.

The fox demon shook his head at what Oscar had said, "Kagome's gonna be so angry at me," he said upset.

Daryl looked at the fox demon in sympathy, "She'll understand."

Shippo looked over at Tomas's lifeless body, watching as T-Dog stabbed the corpse in the brain as a precaution. The fox demon looked away in disgust before looking at his trembling hands that caused Tomas's death.

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Meanwhile Kagome looked around the newly cleared space and smiled, "What do you all think?" she asked the children.

"It's pretty nice," Sophia said, proud of their work.

"I think Daryl will like it," Souta admitted.

The priestess nodded, "Good."

"Somebody help!" Beth's screaming voice, broke the conversation.

Kagome, Souta, and Sophia rushed back into the cell block.

"What's going on?" Lori asked, since she was the first one in the room.

"Daddy stopped breathing!" Beth cried out.

Lori rested her head on Hershel's stomach trying to her a heartbeat. It was faint, so there was still a chance.

Kagome pulled Beth back as Lori began using CPR on Hershel.

Both Beth and Maggie were whimpering helplessly as Lori kept using chest compressions on their father.

"Come on, Hershel," the priestess begged the old man to live.

Suddenly, Hershel's arm sprang up and wrapped around Lori's neck.

"Mom!" Carl yelled in horror.

"Lori!" Maggie cried out, pulling the pregnant woman away from her father.

One quick sense of her priestess powers, and Kagome knew that everything was okay.

Hershel wasn't a Walker.

He just woke up very startled before slipping back into unconsciousness.

"It's okay," Kagome said to everyone, "It's okay...He's alive."

The women let out a breath in relief.

None of the women saw Carl have his gun out and ready to shoot Hershel.

Souta had to lower the gun as Carl's hands were shaking. "He's okay," Souta told him, "He's okay."

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After convincing Rick that the remaining inmates were not a threat, Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl escorted Shippo, Oscar, and Axel to the cell block.

There were no Walkers inside, but there were plenty of bodies. All of them taken out execution style.

"Oh man," Axel whimpered, "I knew these guys...They were good men."

Rick let out a huff at the sight before looking to T-Dog and Daryl, "Let's go," he said, already heading out of the cell block.

"You're just gonna leave us here?" Oscar asked in disbelief, "Man that's sick."

"You either stay here or leave, that was the deal," Rick told them.

"If you guys can't handle this, you don't even want to know what's outside," Daryl informed them harshly.

"Consider yourselves the lucky ones," Rick stated before walking off.

Daryl looked at the prisoners, mainly at Shippo who refused to look at anyone. "I'm sorry about your friends, man." Oscar and Axel nodded in appreciation. "You sure you don't want to see her?" the hunter asked Shippo.

"I can't," the fox demon muttered, "Not after that...I can't face Kagome."

T-Dog gestured to the bodies, "You're gonna want to take the bodies outside and burn them," he suggested before T-Dog and Daryl started to head out to follow Rick.

"Hey," Shippo suddenly voiced, catching Daryl's attention. "Thanks...For looking out for her."

Daryl gave a small nod in reply.

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"What's going on?" T-Dog asked, noticing everyone gathering around the cell that held Hershel.

"He stopped breathing," Carl answered, "But mom saved him."

Rick looked at Lori who looked worriedly at Hershel.

"Still no fever," she told him.

Daryl looked to Kagome, "Anything you can do."

The priestess shook her head, "His soul is still strong. All we can do is wait now."

Everyone looked at the old man, anxiously. All of them begging and praying for him to wake up.

Their prayer was answered.

Ever so slowly, Hershel weakly opened his eyes.

His eyes were full of life.

Hershel was going to live.

"Daddy!" Maggie and Beth cried out happily as they embraced their dad.

Kagome smiled and lowered her head to Daryl's shoulder, "Thank Kami."

The hunter wrapped his arm around her waist gently pulling her to go up to their perch.

"No," she told him, before grabbing his hand and taking Daryl to the other side of the cell block. Kagome took his keys from his pocket and opened the door. "We cleared this section earlier. There's another cell door around the corner that protects this hallway," Kagome assured him before leading him to the warden office she saw earlier.

Kagome opened the door and showed him what was inside of an office.

There was a small desk pushed to the side corner of the wall. Next to that was a small gray couch. On the other wall, there was a picture of some kind of mountain with a small pound and meadow. There were also a few file cabinets which Kagome filled with their belongings. On the other was a tiny small window on top, which showed what little sun light was left outside. Underneath that window laying on the floor, were two prison mattresses pushed together to form a small bed.

"It's not a cage," Kagome pointed out to the hunter.

Daryl nodded, "No it's not...You did this?" he asked her, making her nod yes, "Weren't you supposed to take it easy?"

"I did," she promised him, "Souta, Carl and Sophia helped me with this and cleaning out the infirmary. You would have been so proud of them."

The hunter nodded as he put his crossbow down by the office door, before closing it.

"What happened with the prisoners?" she suddenly asked him, "Is Shippo okay?"

Daryl shook his head, "He's fine," he assured, "Pony Tail just has some issues he has to work out before he sees you."

Kagome looked at the hunter confused, "What issues?"

The hunter kissed her forehead sweetly before answering, "He'll tell you when he's ready...But he did manage to thank me for looking after you."

The priestess smiled lightly, "Well, you do...Even if you got to drive me crazy to do it."

Daryl smirked back before taking her in his arms and kissing her sweetly.

Kagome had managed to give them their own little private space.

A place for the two of them alone.

And Daryl planned to take full advantage of it.

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 **Lemon Starts Here (*insert blush here* Oh my)**

The kiss between the couple suddenly became more heated, sending delightful chills down the priestess body. 'We're alone...And safe,' Kagome realized, making her face become hot.

Daryl's hand found its way to the back of Kagome's head. The priestess arms wrapped around the hunter's body, while his tongue forced Kagome's mouth to open and stared their dance for dominance, which Daryl eventually won.

Kagome began moaning into his mouth, making the hunter's senses go wild. Her own hands began gripping Daryl's broad shoulders.

Daryl pulled away when they both needed to breathe, and stared into Kagome's eyes. He was silently asking her if she wanted him to stop, even though every fiber of his being was screaming for him to keep going.

Kagome showed no sign of protest and stared at Daryl with just as much desire.

The hunter smiled as they both kneeled on to the mattress, before he continued kissing her. His hands kept busy by removing Kagome's red over shirt, that once belonged to him, before he lifted the top that she was wearing. They pulled away from their kiss to lift the piece of clothing over her head, leaving her in just her navy laced bra.

Feeling suddenly exposed, Kagome quickly covered her front with her hands and arms.

"What's wrong?" Daryl asked in concern, thinking that he was pushing her too fast.

"Nothing," she quickly replied, "I want this. I want you, I...I just," Kagome looked down at her damaged body and blushed in embarrassment. 'I just wish my body looked better for you,' she admitted to herself.

The hunter quickly guessed what Kagome was thinking and gently pushed her arms away so he could see all of her. "You have a warrior's body, Baby Girl," he voiced as he lowered his lips down her right arm, which had the most scars. "So fuckin' beautiful." he murmured each word with a kiss.

Kagome became teary eyed at his words and actions. She hadn't felt attractive for a long time. But her angel made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. If possible, her heart began to pump even faster than it was before.

When Daryl pulled his mouth back so that he could kiss her neck, the priestess reached behind her back to unclasp her bra before sliding it off her shoulders.

Daryl pulled away from her neck to look down at Kagome's topless form. It seemed like forever since he first saw her naked at the Quarry. Seeing her bare chest made Daryl's eyes widened with need. Hesitantly, the hunter reached over and grabbed one of her soft breast, his calloused thumb brushing against the nipple.

Kagome's breath hitched at the sensation and leaned over to capture his lips again. As Daryl continued to make out with her and squeezed the priestess's breast, Kagome began unbuttoning his shirt. It took a few tries to get all the buttons, but the priestess managed to slip the shirt off Daryl's body. Her hands began to explore his naked skin, gently memorizing every bit of muscles on his chest and arms.

Suddenly, before the hunter could stop her, Kagome's hand's drifted towards his back.

Daryl instantly froze when Kagome's fingers brushed against his own hidden scars. The ugly marks on his back that his own father had given him. He never showed or told anyone about them. Not even his own brother.

The priestess noticed Daryl's reaction and instantly pulled her hands back, "I'm sorry. Did-did I hurt you?"

"Nah," Daryl hesitated to speak. He wasn't used to being this open about what he was feeling. "I...I got my own scars too," he weakly admitted to her.

Kagome slowly reached back and placed her hands on his back, never losing eye contact with the hunter. "A warrior's body," she repeated his words to him. "My beautiful Tenshi," she said with all the acceptance in her heart.

Daryl couldn't express how he felt at that moment with words. Instead, he gently cupped Kagome's face and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

The priestess smiled into the kiss, since she could feel exactly what Daryl was feeling in his soul.

It's what she felt herself that very moment.

They felt loved.

The hunter never broke the kiss as he softly pushed Kagome down to lay down on the mattress so he was on top of her.

They continued to make out and explore each other's mouths with their tongues and bodies with their hands. Daryl's hips would occasionally grinded into the lower clothed part of Kagome's body, which caused the priestess to moan in his mouth and arch her back while thrusting her hips to meet Daryl's.

Daryl was making her feel so good.

But it still wasn't enough.

Kagome needed more.

She didn't know what she needed more of, but she figure Daryl had a good idea.

The hunter could sense the priestess eagerness, and he couldn't help but feel prideful that he could make his Baby Girl react this way.

Finally, Daryl's mouth left Kagome's and started making his way down to her chin. Then her neck, before he began to explore her chest with his lips, his tongue, and occasionally his teeth. He made sure to pay special attention to her breast and nipples. Kagome's body withered in pleasure from the intimate touches of the hunter's rough hands and the bristles of his facial hair. "P-please," Kagome moaned breathlessly, "Daryl, please."

"What do you need, Baby Girl?" he playfully asked her, before his tongue lightly danced around her flat stomach.

"I-I need," she uttered, still not fully knowing what she wanted.

"Ya have to tell me what you want," Daryl told her a tad more forcefully, but his teasing tone was still present.

Kagome's cheeks were burning, but in a really good way. "Yo-you. I need you, Daryl," she claimed, with her voice squeaking.

That was all the hunter needed to hear.

Daryl quickly unbuttoned Kagome's pants and slipped them off, along with her panties.

She was now completely naked in front of him.

'Holy shit,' Daryl thought as he stared at her body and face, which was looking at him with longing. 'So fuckin' perfect,' he couldn't help but admire her form.

"Daryl," Kagome whimpered, practically begging him to come back to her.

The hunter recovered from his shock, and went to take off his own pants and boxers.

The priestess got a quick look at Daryl's naked form before crawled back on top of her. She could feel his manhood brushing gently at her opening making her cheeks feel flushed.

Daryl knew that this wasn't going to be easy on Kagome, since this was her fist time. "You sure?" Daryl asked the priestess, wanting to see if this is what she truly wanted.

Kagome nodded before she placed her hands on his shoulder and back. "Make me yours," she said almost as a plea.

The hunter rested his forehead against Kagome's own before sliding himself into her.

'Ah fuck,' was all Daryl could think as Kagome's feminine walls surrounded his length. This was the first time the hunter took someone's virginity. 'So tight,' he grunted in his mind at the feeling.

" **Oh fuck,"** Kagome swore in Japanese when Daryl took her maiden hood. She knew her first time was going to hurt, but she had no idea it would be like this. It was a sudden and intense sensation that the priestess couldn't think of the words to describe it.

Daryl saw a few tears that escaped from Kagome's eyes and froze. "Shit, M'sorry," he said about to pull out of her.

"No," Kagome stopped him from moving, breathing through the discomfort. She knew the pain wasn't going to last, "Just-just give me a minute."

A minute.

Daryl didn't know if he could last that long. Every part of his brain that was still functioning was screaming for him to move. But he didn't want to hurt Kagome anymore then he already has.

So the hunter stayed as still as he could.

"Okay," Kagome said moments later, after she a felt a little more used to him inside of her, "I think I'm okay. Just...go slow."

The hunter was hesitant at first, barley moving his hips to thrust inside of her. When Kagome showed no sign of discomfort he moved again, starting a slow and steady rhythm.

Eventually, the pain Kagome had felt before was forgotten, and was replaced with something that felt completely overwhelming and wonderful.

The priestess began to moan in pleasure. "Da-Daryl," she said his name as he moved inside of her. It felt good, but it still wasn't enough. "Fa-faster," she pleaded him.

Daryl didn't need to be told twice. He increased his pace, making them both grunt in ecstasy.

Kagome tried to match Daryl's rhythm by moving her own hips.

As he continued his thrusting, Daryl felt Kagome's walls tighten around him.

She was close to release.

" **Oh God,"** Kagome said in Japanese, **"Don't stop, Angel."**

The hunter assumed that if the priestess couldn't focus on speaking English, then he must be doing something right. Another burst of male pride began to flow through his veins. "Fuck you feel so good, Baby Girl," he muttered while feeling his own pleasure with every thrust.

Suddenly, Kagome was overwhelmed with this incredible feeling in her body that she had no idea existed. "Daryl," she called out her lovers name in pleasure.

A few thrust later, Daryl followed her in release "Kagome," he called out as he rode out his own orgasm, with his eyes practically rolling to the back of his head.

The priestess was feeling very overwhelmed, but she still managed to smile when Daryl said her name.

Both of them enjoyed their high for a few more moments, panting heavily from their love making.

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 **Lemon Over Now (It's safe. I promise.)**

Daryl kissed Kagome's forehead before he rolled over to lay on his back. Kagome stayed still for a few moments, basking in the afterglow, before rolling on to her side to face him. **"Wow,"** she said completely bewildered.

The hunter couldn't help but smirk, "Is that good?" he asked her.

Remembering he'd asked something like that before, and knowing that he knew exactly what she said, Kagome playfully smacked his shoulder, "Shut up."

Daryl gave a small laugh and turned to his side to hold Kagome in his arms.

Even though there was a lot of bloodshed and many tears wept today, there was one thing that was certain.

The two lovers, who had safe place to stay and all of their new family alive, and at this moment were very happy.

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Meanwhile, miles away from the prison.

Michonne and Kilala, who was now riding on her owners shoulder since Andrea insisted that she walk, continued forward. They talked a lot about trying to find a quiet place for just the three of them. Maybe an uninhabited island on the coast, or a strong hold for them to rebuild civilization.

A new start.

Suddenly, Kilala halted and roared at the sky in warning.

"What is it?" Michonne asked her companion.

"Look," Andrea pointed to the sky and saw a helicopter on fire before it crash to the ground.

Both women and feline looked at one another before heading to the direction of the crash.

Who knows what they'll find from the crash.

Or who.

 **Wow this was a long one. Can you blame me though since so much stuff happened? Anyway, Daryl and Kagome finally moved to the next step of their relationship *insert fangirl scream here* and Shippo made his appearance. *insert another fangirl scream here* But we still have no idea what Shippo did to anger Sesshōmaru so much. What could it be? Next time: The group gets some answers and a terrible price is payed.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	17. Answers and Losses

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Wow! That's a whole lot of reviews. A few of them were about some concerns about Kagome and Daryl's lack of protection during their time together. Hopefully this chapter will explain and answer your questions on why I wrote things this way. (Though protection during sex seems to be the last thing on people's minds after season two of Walking Dead) Anyway, thank you DogDemoness108, Tolazytologin (Guest), kakashixangela, KuroKat013, darkangel0212,** **Saricaykes,** **yourworldismine, daisynaruto909,** **NicoleR85,** **HellCat4Life, Kaggie21 (stay sweet), XXkagomeX (Guest), Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, MOONWOLF1234, lifelovelaugh, Deathstarling556, 917brat, GreenHoneyTea, Star (Guest), Applejax XD, Spastic Freak, Elfy lolita, PikaGirl (Guest), and animecutylover for your kind words and support. Don't worry most of your questions and suspicions will be put in this chapter. And thank you bleach-chyc-eevee, darkangel0212, ImooShi003, dark8k8night, RaeningNV,** **Raiko20, Dareagon, angeldelinfierno, jemmagirl,** **DemonCry,** **Nekoraychan, dimilygarcia73, saashi samy, Tory96, TurtleLover1999, Sirae, lzrtlz, GeneKnight94, Antrikaa, hinamori59, LuluRavenCrow, AngelDove78, ShaylaE, loveread1997 and** **animecutylover** **for taking an interest in this fic.**

Disclaimer: Me own nothing from either series. No suing

Chapter Seventeen: Answers and Losses

One week later, Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl shook their heads as they watched Sesshōmaru effortlessly push the tipped over bus that was blocking the gate a good few yards away with one hand in the prison yard.

"Cocky bastard," T-Dog muttered.

"What was that, human?" Sesshōmaru growled.

T-Dog rolled his eyes, "Nothing."

"He's just jealous, Lord Fluffy," Kagome teased making Sesshōmaru scowl at her.

"Alright," Rick said regaining everyone's attention. "We got to bring the cars inside and park them on the west entry of the yard."

Daryl nodded, "All those cars out their look like a giant vacancy sign."

Rick nodded, "After that we'll need to load up these corpses so we can burn'em."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Sounds fun," she said sarcastically.

"It's gonna be a long day," T-Dog said in agreement.

"It's what we gotta do," said Carol before looking around, "Hey where are Glenn and Maggie? We could use the help."

Sesshōmaru pointed to the guard tower in disgust, "They're rutting up in the tower...Again."

Kagome shook her head at the word the demon used, "Do you have to call it that?"

The demon lord raised a brow at her. He could clearly smell the hunter's scent on her. A sign that they themselves had mated earlier this morning. But Sesshōmaru respected the priestess and hunter enough not to comment on the matter.

"The guard tower?" Rick questioned, "Weren't they just up there last night?"

Daryl suddenly had a look of mischief across his face, "Hey Glenn! Maggie!"

Glenn's figure could be seen though the dirty window of the tower. The Korean was obviously trying to dress before he went out the door, "Hey, what's up, guys?!" he called down to them.

Kagome, Carol and T-Dog snickered at Glenn's half-dressed attire.

"You comin'?!" Daryl yelled at them. Kagome had to suppress a laugh at the questions double meaning.

"What?" Glenn asked confused. The group in the yard could now see Maggie's form, also trying to re-dress.

"You comin'?" Daryl repeated, "Come on, we can use a hand!"

The Korean shook his head, "Oh okay! We'll be right down!"

Kagome shook her head at the hunter, "That was just mean."

"Then why are you still laughin'?" Daryl pointed out her smile.

"Shut up," she said while trying to cover her blush. Ever since their first time together, Daryl and Kagome were a lot more teasing and affectionate with each other. Any shyness that remained between was now gone. This allowed the couple to explore more of each other physically, which was new and kind of fun for both of them.

T-Dog was also snickering until he spotted three familiar figures on the prison basketball court. "Hey Rick," he gestured for their leader to see.

Sesshōmaru immediately growled at the sight of the see the prisoners and fox demon, "Keep that kitsune away from me," he warned the priestess.

"Alright, alright," Kagome assured the demon lord before she tried to follow Rick.

Daryl grabbed her wrist to stop her, "You sure those other two can be trusted?" The priestess nodded yes. "Okay...Don't push Pony Tail until he's ready to talk," he told her, remembering how distraught the fox demon was after killing Tomas.

Kagome nodded again, "I won't," she said before the both went to follow Rick.

When they left, Carol looked over to Sesshōmaru. "What in the world did Shippo do to make you hold a grudge this long?"

At first the demon lord didn't want to say, but he knew Carol's curiosity met no end. So Sesshōmaru leaned in and whispered what the fox demon had done.

Carol's eyes widened in shock...Before she broke out into fits of laughter.

"Seriously?" she asked between her giggling, "Oh that poor boy. Having to face your wrath after that."

"If the Kitsune had faced my wrath, he'd be dead," Sesshōmaru corrected her.

Carol's laughter continued, "I'll bet."

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"That's close enough," Rick told the three prisoners. "We had an agreement."

"Please mister, we know that," Axel said with his arms folded nervously, "We made a deal. But you got to understand...We can't live in that place another minute. You follow me. All those bodies...The people we knew...Blood and brains everywhere."

Shippo visibly gaged.

Kagome walked over to her adopted son in concern, "Is the smell too strong?"

The fox demon nodded, "Very."

"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl suggested simply.

"You should be burning them," T-Dog reminded the men.

"We tried," Axel informed, "We have no problem making fire thanks to Shippo's power but the fence is out on the far side of the prison. Every time we go out and make a noise...Those things hear us."

Kagome looked to Shippo after Axel spoke, "You told them what you are?"

The fox demon nodded, "Yes...I told them everything that first night in the cellblock."

"It kind of all makes sense now," Oscar said, speaking for the first time. "Why else would someone be scared of such a baby face."

Shippo stuck out his tongue at the older looking man.

Axel tried to remain on topic, "Look, we had nothing to do with what happened with Tomas and Andrew. Nothing."

Shippo immediately frowned at the dead man's name.

Kagome instantly notice the fox demon's change in mood and put her hand on her adopted son's shoulder, "Shippo?"

It took a moment for the fox demon to regain his composure, "Mom...I...What happened with Tomas."

The priestess shushed him, "I already know."

Shippo looked at her in surprise before looking to Daryl, "You told her?"

Kagome shook her head, "It wasn't hard to figure out. Daryl had nothing to do with it."

"And you're-You're not mad," the fox demon hesitated to ask, "You're not...ashamed of me?"

"Of course not," Kagome shook her head in assurance, "Shippo you saved my family from a very sinister human soul." She embraced her son gratefully, **"Thank you, my son,"** she said in Japanese.

Shippo gave a relived sigh before hugging his mother back, **"I love you, Mom."**

The group looked at the mother and son moment tenderly.

But once again, Axel wanted to stay on topic. "Look, whatever point you were trying to make. You proved it, bro," he told Rick. "We'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your group...Just please, please, please don't make us live in that place," Axel begged.

"The deal is nonnegotiable," Rick informed him, "You either live in the cellblock or you leave."

"Oh come on Rick," Kagome said after she pulled back from Shippo, "These men aren't bad. I already told you that."

"Its fine, lady," Oscar interrupted her, "I told these guys this was a waste of time. This man," he gestured to Rick, "He ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys."

"Uhh Oscar," Shippo cautioned, "We want to stay on their good side remember."

Oscar shook his head, "Nah man. You were in there with us? Do you know how many of our friend's corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw'em out like...They were good guys, man."

"I know," Shippo nodded, remembering all the men he befriend inside who were now gone.

Oscar shook his head, "We've all made mistakes to get in here chief," he spoke to Rick, "And I ain't gonna pretend to be no saint...But believe me we paid our dues...Enough that we would rather hit that road then go back to that shithole."

Kagome shook her head, "None of you are going out there."

"That's not your decision to make," Rick told the priestess.

"Damn it Rick," Kagome snapped at him, "After all this time with this group I've asked very little of you. But I'm asking you now. Give these men a real chance...Give my son a chance...Please consider letting them stay."

Rick turned to Daryl who shrugged in response.

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"You do realize how pointless this is right?" Shippo said as Daryl closed him, Oscar and Axel in the entry of the walkway outside the prison yard which lead to the outside, to keep them there as the group debated what to do with them. Sesshōmaru took off into the woods to check for Walkers, since Rick had a good idea of what his opinion would be about the prisoners.

"Rick's orders," Daryl said as he locked the gate, "But this really is a group decision."

Shippo shook his head defiantly, "Rick's not gonna stop me from protecting my mother."

Daryl nodded respectfully at the demon fox, "I doubt he could," he said walking back over to the group.

"Are you serious?" Rick asked T-Dog, who said that he agreed with Kagome about giving the prisoners a chance. "You want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"

"I never stopped," T-Dog replied.

"Besides, if they wanted us dead, they would have used Shippo to do it already," Daryl pointed out to everyone.

"Shippo's skills are in illusions and making fox fire. His mastery is in harmless tricks, not murder," Kagome informed them, "He never killed any human before Tomas."

Rick shook his head, "How can you be so sure?"

"I keep telling you. I can sense it, Rick," she reminded him sternly. "And neither of those men have killed either."

"I say we bring them into the fold," T-Dog backed her up, "If we send them packing, we might as well be executing them ourselves."

Glenn shook his head, "I don't know. Axel seems a little unstable."

"Don't you remember how we all were in the beginning," Kagome responded to Glenn, "This is all new to them."

"We've all been fighting for so long," Carol spoke up, "What if Axel and Oscar do decide to take it?"

Maggie nodded, "It has just been us for a long time...And now these strangers. I know Shippo is Kagome's son, but it still feels so weird having new people around."

"You let us in," T-Dog reminded her.

"You showed up with a shot up boy in your arms," Maggie answered, "You didn't give us much choice."

"And we still don't know what Shippo was in here for," Rick told everyone his issue with the fox demon.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "He told me it was theft."

"And you believe him?" Rick asked her untrustingly.

"He wouldn't lie to me," the priestess answered him.

Rick stood firm, "We still don't know why Sesshōmaru has a grudge against him."

Carol unintentionally snorted, making everyone look at her as she remembered what the demon lord had told her.

"What's so funny?" Glenn asked her.

She shook her head, "No-nothing," Carol as she tried to suppress her giggles.

"Wait," Daryl said with a raised brow, "Do you know why Sesshōmaru has a thing against Pony Tail?"

Carol gave an innocent nod, "Yes...But it's not my place to say."

Kagome shook her head, "Oh for Kami sake," she muttered before going into view of the gate. "Shippo, why does Sesshōmaru want to kill you?" she called out to her son.

The fox demon cheeks instantly flushed and once again rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Do I-Do I have to say it?"

"Yes!" the group said simultaneously.

Shippo muttered a curse under his breath before he spoke up, "Fine...When Rin and I were sixteen, we uhh."

"Just say it, man" T-Dog encouraged, but was wondering why the demon was so hesitant.

"We had sex and Sesshōmaru caught us!" Shippo finally admitted, completely mortified. "There I said it! Happy now?!"

There was a brief moment of silence before all of the humans mouth's dropped.

Kagome was the first to recover, "Are you kidding me?" she asked, gapping at her son. 'Didn't I teach him better than that,' she thought, before turning back to the group.

"It was Rin's idea," Shippo whined in his own defense, as if it made the situation okay.

"Shippo if you have a brain in your skull, you will stop talking," Kagome warned her son by looking over her shoulder and glaring at him.

"Yes, ma'am," Shippo obediently replied, knowing better then to piss off his mother.

Kagome turned back to Rick, "Satisfied?"

Rick shook his head unconvinced, "That can't be the only reason?"

"I don't know, man," T-Dog said smirking in amusement, "If you had a sixteen year old daughter and you caught her with guy, wouldn't you want to kill him?"

Rick was silent for a few moments before answering, "Point taken."

Daryl snorted, feeling a little bad that Shippo had do admit something so personal in front of his mother and a bunch of strangers.

"Anyway," T-Dog tried to bring them back to the conversation, "Now that we know and from what Kagome could tell, these people have less blood on our hands then we do."

"I get guys like this," Daryl spoke up, "Hell, I grew up with'em. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could have been in there just as easily as I'm out here with you guys."

"So are you with me?" T-Dog asked optimistically.

Daryl shook his head, "I want to say 'Hell, no.'" Everyone looked at the hunter completely surprised. "I'd rather they take their chances on the road like we did...But if Kagome trust them, then so do I."

Rick heard everyone's side but he still wasn't swayed. "We've all been through too much. Our deal with them stands," he decided before looking at the priestess, "I'm sorry Kagome."

Kagome scowled at the leader of her group, "No you're not," she in anger and disappointment, "And you know what? You can burn the bodies yourself," she stated before storming back into the prison.

Daryl wanted to go after her, but Carol stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head. "Give her a chance to calm down," she told the hunter.

Daryl looked from his friend to the priestess, figuring that Carol was probably right.

Kagome was beyond mad at Rick. Not only for sending her son away, but for sending two innocent souls to their deaths. Not even giving them a real chance to prove what kind of people they were.

All because some of their group is afraid to let people in.

'I'll talk to her later,' Daryl decided to himself.

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Kagome slammed the cellblock door in a rage.

"What's wrong Kagome?" Beth asked in concern. Souta, Sophia, and Carl came out after hearing the commotion.

The priestess wiped a tear that fell down her face, "Rick is sending the prisoners away... Including Shippo."

Lori shook her head as she finished preparing the crutches for Hershel. She knew the story about Shippo and how the priestess saw him as her own child, "Do you want me to talk to him?"

Kagome shook her head, "We already tried...His mind is made up."

Souta walked up to his sister and hugged her mid-section. He was one of the few people who truly understood of how bad it was for Shippo to leave.

Her brother's actions made Kagome begin to whimper openly. "It was hard saying good bye to him the first time," Kagome said, with her voice breaking slightly. "Shippo was just a boy. He didn't have anyone...On the day I left, just before I jumped through the well, I...I heard him say 'Mama don't go.'"

Lori wiped away a tear she didn't know had fallen down her face.

Beth bit her lower lip before speaking, not sure if it was her place to say anything. But she couldn't stand seeing the priestess this way, "Kagome, from the stories you've told, I doubt Shippo would actually let Rick force him to leave...He just got you back. He's not gonna let you go that easily."

Kagome looked at the young blonde woman, "You think so?" Beth nodded yes which made the priestess smile.

Lori smiled at both of them, "Alright boys and girls. Let's get these to Hershel," she lifted up the crutches.

The priestess followed the pregnant woman, the blonde girl and the children to Hershel's cell.

Hershel smiled at the sight of everyone and the crutches, "Finally."

Kagome snickered at the old man's urgency.

Lori placed the crutches up, "Just take your time."

Hershel started moving a little too quickly.

"Daddy don't push yourself," Beth cautioned him.

Hershel snorted, "What else am I gonna do?" he asked trying to stand on his one leg and steadying himself on the crutches. Lori, Beth and Kagome did their best to support him. "I can't stand looking up at the bottom of that bunk anymore."

The old man wobbled again, forcing the women to steady him again.

"It takes a few minutes to get used to them," Souta told the old man. "I had to use crutches when I twisted my ankle from soccer once."

Kagome giggled recalling that, "Yeah. The doctor thought you were dying by how much screaming and crying you were doing at the hospital."

Sophia and Carl snickered, while Souta blushed and mumbled, "I wasn't crying that much."

Hershel smiled and tried a few more times to move the crutches, "You know, I think I'm steady now."

The women backed off a little.

"It's a good start," Lori said impressed, "Want to take a rest?"

"A rest?" Hershel said offended, "How about we take a stroll. Maybe even talk to that young man Kagome brags so much about."

Kagome smiled at his suggestion, "Why not...But he's no so young. In fact he's probably five times older then you even though he looks like Beth's age."

"Seriously?" Beth questioned her, making the priestess nod. The blonde didn't really think that Shippo would look the same age as her, especially if he was alive five hundred years ago. She knew he was a demon and the only one she ever met was Sesshōmaru. 'I wonder what he looks like?' Beth thought about Shippo

The women huddled around Hershel as they made their way outside. The children followed slowly behind them, encouraging Hershel as he used the crutches.

It took the old man a few minutes to go down the steps once they made it outside.

"They cleared all the bodies out?" Hershel said impressed as he crutched down the basketball court.

Kagome figured that Sesshōmaru must have helped if they cleared the bodies this fast.

"It's actually starting to look like a place we can really live," Hershel voiced optimistically.

Lori nodded in agreement, "Just keep going steady, Hershel."

"Alright Hershel!" they heard Glenn cheered from across the prison yard.

Beth smiled proudly at her father, "You're doing great Daddy."

"You ready to race Hershel?" Carl teased the old man.

Souta snorted, "Like he stood a chance when he had both legs."

Hershel smiled at the boys, "Give me another day. I'll take you both on."

"Sounds like trouble for our boys," Kagome told Sophia.

"They brought it on themselves," the young blonde replied.

Maggie, who was standing next to Carol and T-Dog on the other side of the basketball court looked at Hershel inspiringly. The same with Rick, Glenn and Daryl on the other side of the prison yard. Even Sesshōmaru, who was still killing Walkers outside the prison fences a good distance away, paused to look at the old man, admiring his human spirit before going back to disposing the nearby Walkers.

For one brief moment, everything was blissful.

Then all too suddenly, that moment ended.

Carl was the first to hear the growling behind everyone on the basketball court, "WALKERS!"

Everyone turned and saw a herd of Walkers coming outside from inside the prison.

"Oh Kami!" Kagome yelled as she placed a barrier around herself, Lori, Beth, Hershel, and the children. "We got to move," she told them, "Go! Go! Go!"

Everyone stayed inside the barrier as long as they could, trying to move as a unit but failing horribly.

Lori, Carl, Souta and Sophia, began shooting their guns at every Walker that was close by.

But there was too many.

"Damn it," Kagome swore as she lowered the barrier and began shooting her arrows towards the Walkers.

"Someone opened the gate!" T-Dog informed everyone, as he attacked a nearby Walker, "Carol help me put it back!"

"But Sophia!" Carol said worried, while shooting at Walker's heads.

"I've got her," Kagome yelled back still firing her arrows, "Hurry and close the gate!"

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"Get out of there!" Rick yelled to everyone in danger, running down the prison fence trying to get to his family. "Get out of there! Lori!"

"Come on let's go!" Daryl yelled at Glenn who was closing the hole in the fence. The hunter could see Kagome trying to get to the kids to protect them. 'Hold on Baby Girl,' he thought to himself.

Glenn hurried as fast as he could knowing that he had the keys to unlock the fences.

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The demon lord was disposing the last of the dead corpses when he heard the commotion with his demonic hearing.

Sesshōmaru cursed inwardly at being so far away, as he used his demon speed to get back to the prison.

His eyes went red when he heard Sophia's scream for help.

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Sophia ran out of bullets in her gun and pulled out her knife. Using the skills she'd been taught by the adults to take down the Walkers. Sophia kicked the back of the Walker's legs to get them down to their knees, so she could get to the brain more easily. She did this to two other Walkers before one managed to trip her to the ground.

"Help me!" Sophia screamed as she tried to push the snapping Walker off of her.

Souta ran up behind the Walker attacking Sophia, and pierced its brain from behind with his knife. Both of them pushed the Walker off of Sophia, allowing Souta to lift her to her feet.

"You okay?" Souta quickly asked her.

Sophia nodded, "I'm fine. But where's Mama?" she asked, losing track of her mother.

Kagome made her way over to her brother, since Lori and Carl managed to get back inside with Maggie, still firing her arrows. "Your mom's with T-Dog. She'll be okay," she informed Sophia.

But the three of them were in trouble, since they were getting backed into a corner.

Kagome stopped shooting her arrows and placed a barrier over the three of them. There was so many that it took all her strength to keep both of her feet in place to keep the barrier steady.

"Guys, over here," Beth yelled out from behind a closed gate, with her father next to her.

"I can't move!" Kagome told them, while trying to keep the Walkers at bay with her barrier. If they didn't get out of this tight spot soon, the priestess and the children would be dead.

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"MOM!" Shippo shouted out in horror at what was happening.

"Out of my way," Rick yelled, finally getting out of the walk way and fiddling with the keys, trying to find the right one.

"Oh fuck that!" Shippo stated, before using his demon strength to yank the outside lock, breaking it with very little effort.

With the gate now open Rick, Daryl, and Glenn dashed out to the prison yard, with very little care about the prisoners.

Shippo was about to follow them before Axel grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?!" Axel yelled, "Are you crazy?!"

"That's my mother out there!" the demon replied, yanking his arm back and dashing across the yard.

"Come on, man," Oscar said, urging Axel to follow him.

All the men ran across the yard till they got to the next locked gate.

"Hurry up," Daryl urged Rick, "Kagome and the kids are in trouble." The hunter looked helplessly as the priestess was now kneeled down since so many Walkers were piling on top of her barrier.

"Out of my way!" Shippo yelled at Rick and Daryl who were blocking his way as he was getting a running start. Once he was at a good distance from the gate he jumped high into the air, "Transform!" he yelled before landing on the herd of Walkers on the basketball court.

The nineteen year old looking demon instantly transformed into a large demon fox. Shippo's animal form was a little bigger than his former companion Kilala when she was in her full demon form, only with fox features. His fur was red like his hair with a blond tail and paws. His eyes were black with green pupils. His fangs and claws were sharp and ripped through the rotting corpses with no problem.

In his animal form, Shippo rammed a majority of the Walker's away from Kagome and the children, also grabbing the attention of a few wanting Hershel and Beth.

All the humans gasped at the sight of the large fox demon.

Kagome, who was unaffected, used the distraction to put down her barrier. "Let's go!" she yelled pushing Souta and Sophia up the stairs, and into Hershel and Beth's secure space.

"What is that?" Beth asked, pointing to the large fox on the basketball court.

Kagome closed the barred door, "That's my son," she said with pride.

Sesshōmaru arrived shortly after Rick and the others got the gate open to enter the basketball court.

"What happened?" Rick asked Kagome, Beth and Hershel.

"Someone left the gate open," Beth answered.

Rick shook his head completely confused, "Where's Lori? Carl? And everyone?"

"They've been scattered," Kagome answered shooting at a stray Walker that Shippo had missed. "Maggie took Lori and Carl inside."

"They're in the C Block," Hershel said more accurately.

Rick scowled at all the Walkers, "Sesshōmaru," he turned to the demon who nodded in understanding.

"Kitsune!" the demon called out as he unsheathed Tensuiga, "If you value your life you'll move now!"

Hearing the order, Shippo's animal form jumped into the air before transformed back into his humanoid form. "Lord Sesshōmaru," the fox demon said respectfully once he landed crouching on the ground.

The demon lord used his demon speed to clear the remaining Walkers all over the court yard with his sword. It took less than a blink of an eye.

"Holy shit!" Axel said amazed, haven't seen anything like he just witnessed in his life.

Glenn quickly went over to the gate to shut it, and keep anymore Walker's out. "Guys! Someone had hacked the chain off the gate."

Rick's glare immediately went to the prisoners.

But before he could accuse them of anything, a loud alarm sounded all over the prison.

"Aww fuck!" Shippo yelled in pain, his sensitive hearing not prepared for the loud noise.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Daryl snapped in annoyance.

Kagome looked outside the prison fences, already seeing a few Walkers coming towards the noise. Sesshōmaru saw them and immediately went to take care of them. If too many Walkers were on the fence, the group would be in more danger.

"What is that?!" Sophia yelled, covering her ears.

"Kill it!" Hershel yelled as Rick, Daryl and Glenn began shooting at the outside speakers.

The alarm still kept going.

Rick pulled out his gun and pointed it towards Oscar, "How the hell could this be happening?!"

Oscar held up his hands in surrender, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. It-it has to be the backup generators."

"Well how do you turn those on?" Rick demanded to know.

"There's three that's connected to a diesel tank okay," Oscar explained, "Each one controls a certain part of the prison. The hacks shut them all off before the prison was overrun."

Rick pondered the information, "Could someone open up the main gates electronically with full power?"

Oscar shrugged unsure, "I only worked there for a few days. But I guess it might be possible."

"The alarm will attract all the Walkers in the area," Souta pointed out to the adults.

"Sesshōmaru's already on it," Kagome informed Rick, seeing the demon lord already taking down Walker's outside the prison.

"Even he can't keep it up forever," Shippo pointed out to her.

Rick nodded, "Alright. You're coming with us," he said grabbing on to Oscar. "Kagome stay here in case the others come back."

The priestess nodded, "Be careful."

"Let's go," Rick ordered Daryl, Glenn, Shippo and Axel to follow him.

Sophia turned to the adults, "Will everyone be okay?" she asked, needing the assurance that her mother was going to be okay.

"It'll be fine," Kagome told her, although she wasn't sure herself. 'Please let everything be fine.'

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"Lori!" Rick yelled inside cellblock C after he shot the last Walker that had invaded it, "Carl!"

"There's no sign of them?" Daryl asked the group's leader.

"Nobody," Rick said in a small panic.

"They must have been pushed back into the prison," Glenn figured before looking to Shippo, "Could you track them down?"

The fox demon shook his head, "Wrong species. I smell scents but I can't track."

Rick cursed under his breath, "Somebody is playing games...We'll split up and look for the others. Whoever gets to the generators first, shut'em down!"

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Kagome didn't know how much time passed when the alarms finally stopped.

Sesshōmaru came back from the woods and went to the basketball court. This allowed Kagome, Hershel, Beth, Souta and Sophia to come out from their secured spot.

"Where are they?" Souta asked, terrified for the missing members of their family.

"They're coming," Sesshōmaru stated, smelling their approach.

A few moments later, Rick ran outside with all the men. "Hershel? Kagome? Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine," Kagome answered Rick. Daryl walked over to the priestess and inspected her. "I'm fine," she assured him.

"Where are they?" Hershel asked them.

"We thought they'd come back out here," said Glenn.

Sophia's eyes suddenly went to something that Daryl was carrying, "Is that-Is that my mom's scarf?"

Daryl looked down to the piece of cloth they found that did belong to Carol. "Sophia," he said regretfully.

The little blonde shook her head, "No," she cried, "No. Not Mama!"

Sesshōmaru walked over to the young girl, "Sophia," he said in a neutral tone. The young girl launched herself at the demon, crying as she muffled her face into his stomach. The demon pattered her head soothingly, as he also thought of the passing of the petite woman and kept his face neutral as possible.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, seeing the distraught look on the hunter's face.

Daryl took a deep breath, "We found that scarf with T-Dog...He didn't make it."

Beth gasped at the sudden information. Hershel bowed his head and said a quick prayer for their friends passing.

"Just because they're gone doesn't mean the other's didn't make it," Rick told everyone. "We're going to go back in and."

"Do you hear that?" Shippo asked Sesshōmaru, interrupting Rick.

The demon lord nodded slowly.

Soon everyone else could hear it too.

A baby crying.

Maggie came stumbling out of the prison with a bloody jacket bundle in her arms. Carl was following right behind her, completely pale as he stared at his feet.

Although the group was glad to see them and even the baby alive, there was one question.

Where was Lori?

Kagome gasped and covered her mouth in realization, 'Oh Kami...Oh Kami no. Not Lori.'

Maggie was sobbing as she started walking towards Rick, with a whimpering baby in her arms.

Rick dropped his weapon and looked around, "Where-where is she?" Maggie looked at him, too upset to answer. "Where is she?" he tried to get past her.

Maggie quickly stopped him, "No! Rick, no," she told him sternly, shaking her head.

Rick looked to Carl, who was crying silent tears. "No," the leader blubbered once he realized the truth.

Lori was dead.

"No," Rick kept saying in denial over and over again as he began to openly cry in front of everyone.

Since Sesshōmaru was comforting Sophia, Souta went to check on Carl. But the young Grimes didn't respond to him. He was still in shock of his mother dying in front of him...And having to shoot her in the head to make sure she didn't turn.

Kagome cried openly as well for all her friends that died today. Daryl wrapped his arm around her waist so she could cry on his shoulder. Shippo walked to her other side and put his hand on her back in comfort.

Everyone mourned to themselves, until the baby's crying brought them back to reality.

Everyone except for Rick who suddenly stood still incredibly still. Not reacting to anything around him.

Daryl leaned down and kissed Kagome's forehead, and let her lean on Shippo before walking over to Rick. He waved his hand in front of Rick's face and got no reaction. "Hey, you with me?" the hunter asked, "Rick, are you with me?"

Rick didn't even blink.

"He's in shock," Kagome informed Daryl, wiping her tears away with her arm.

Maggie handed the baby over to Carl, who gently held his sibling.

"Let me see the baby," Hershel called over.

Daryl walked back over to the group, leaving Rick alone. "What are we gonna feed it? We got anythin' a baby can eat?"

Kagome took a step forward to look at the little miracle that was given to them on this terrible day. She was a beautiful baby girl. It was easy to see Lori just by looking at the new born.

"The good news is she looks healthy," Hershel inspected quickly.

Sesshōmaru sniffed the newborn, "She does not smell sickly."

"That's fortunate," said Hershel "But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive."

Daryl shook his head, "No. No way. Not her," as he strapped his crossbow on his back, "We ain't losin' nobody else. I'm goin' for a run."

"I'll back you up," Maggie said automatically.

"I'll go too," Glenn volunteered.

Daryl nodded, "Okay, think about where we're goin," he told Glenn before looking to Kagome. The priestess followed him so they can speak quietly, "You're gonna have to stay. Carl and Sophia just lost their moms and Rick ain't doin' so hot."

Kagome nodded, trying to regain herself. Everyone that died today was going to takes its toll on everyone. Especially Carl and Sophia. "I'll watch over them. But you need to go. We're not losing this baby too."

The hunter nodded and kissed her quickly on the lips, "We'll be back when we find somethin'."

"I cleared out the Walkers that surrounded the prison. You should have no problem on the way out," Sesshōmaru informed the hunter, with Sophia was still whimpering at his side.

Daryl nodded before looking to Oscar and Axel, "I need you two to close the fence when we're out," he ordered, "Glenn and Maggie vamonos."

Suddenly, Rick snapped out of his shock, went for an abandoned axe that was on the ground and made a beeline for the prison.

"Rick!" Maggie and Kagome both called out for him, but the leader didn't stop.

"That idiot is going to get himself killed," Shippo muttered.

Kagome looked to Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie, "You three need to hurry."

Daryl nodded in agreement, "Let's go or we're gonna lose the light."

The priestess watched the three retreat to the vehicles. She couldn't help but feel proud of Daryl for not hesitating to take charge of the group.

"We better get inside," Hershel suggested to everyone.

Carl looked down at his crying sister and gently began rocking her on instinct.

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Inside the cellblock, Kagome began heating up some water prepared some towels to clean up the baby. She was surprised to see Glenn when he came back inside. "I thought you were going out on the run?"

"There's a pile up on the road. Only Daryl's bike could make it through," Glenn explained before he went to seat down on one of the eating tables.

Kagome looked at the Korean who probably felt just as exhausted as everyone else here. The priestess walked over to sit next to him. "How are you holding up?" she asked him.

Glenn shook his head, "I just can't believe they're gone."

"I know," she replied, "I'm half expecting T-Dog to come walking in and say something sarcastic."

A whimper came out of Glenn's mouth, "Yeah...He was good at that."

Kagome could see that he was trying so hard not to let himself break down. "It's okay to cry, Glenn," she told him, "It shows how much we care."

With her permission, Glenn broke down and began crying for their fallen friend. Kagome wrapped an arm around him in comfort.

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Sesshōmaru sat in Carol and Sophia's cell, the little girl still crying into his side for her loss.

The demon didn't offer any word of comfort to ease her sadness. He allowed his presence to be a source of relief.

Sesshōmaru didn't know how to sooth a person in mourning.

He had only been mournful twice in his entire existence.

And those were the days that Kagura and Rin had died.

However, Sesshōmaru couldn't help but feel a little sad that Carol was gone.

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"Dab at her gently," Kagome cautioned Carl, as he cleaned up his new baby sister. The priestess thought the chore would be a good distraction for Carl. So far it seemed to be working.

The poor newborn baby was so scared of the unknown action happening to her, and was crying her eyes out.

Carl tried dabbing her with the warm towel again, "Like this?" he asked unsure.

Kagome nodded and rubbed the top of the baby's head as she continued whimpering, "Shhh, I know sweetie. It'll all be over in a second."

Souta and Beth watched the scene with interest. They haven't seen a baby in a long time, so it really was a sight to behold. Naturally, Souta had wanted to be by Sophia's side, but Sesshōmaru made it difficult for him to approach her at the moment.

Shippo was in the corner covering his ears to block out the babies cries once she was out of the warm water, "At least we know her lungs are strong."

Once Carl was done bathing her, Kagome wrapped up the new born to try and keep her warm.

The baby still didn't stop crying.

"Can I try?" Beth asked, "I used to babysit babies all the time."

The priestess nodded, "Knock yourself out," she said gently handing the baby over to the young blonde woman.

Beth gently cuddled and cooed at the bundled baby and began humming a little tune for her. A few moments later, the baby began to settle down. "There we go," Beth cooed at the baby. "Hopefully Maggie and Daryl can find her some formula soon," she told the others.

"I'm sure they will," Kagome said while gathering the wet towels.

"Speaking of Daryl," Shippo said folding his arms in an interrogating manor. "What are his intentions?"

Kagome turned to her head with a raised brow, "I'm sorry, what?"

"His intentions," Shippo repeated, "Like are you and Daryl gonna get married?"

Beth, Souta and Carl turned to Kagome who was now blushing ten shades of red.

"I am not having this conversation with you of all people," she replied, "Or should I let Sesshōmaru have his way with you over what happened between you and Rin."

Shippo's eyes widened at the threat, "You wouldn't."

Kagome gave an evil smile, her blush vanishing "Oh I would."

"Fine," the fox demon let out a defeated sigh, "But I don't have to call Daryl 'Dad' now do I?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, making a few of the others in the room snicker a little. It felt good to have a bit of a normal conversation after all that's happened today.

"Seriously though," Shippo said, all the teasing leaving his voice, "Does he make you happy?"

The priestess smiled as she thought of the hunter, "He does."

The fox demon gave an approving nod, "Okay then."

Beth rocked the baby as she stared at the demon, "Kagome didn't say you could transform into a giant animal."

"Yeah, that was really cool," Souta said impressed.

Shippo shrugged, "I couldn't do it when I was little. It was something I had to learn on my own."

Kagome sat down, "Sesshōmaru said you left the village after Rin got married. Where did you go?"

The Kitsune snorted, "Where didn't I go?" he countered, "I wanted to see the world. See the special events mentioned from your school books...I wanted to see it all."

Carl looked at the demon with a little interest, "Did you?"

"It feels that way," Shippo replied, "I've been through almost all of Asia and Europe. Even went to Africa for a little while. Took a few hundred years to get to America though."

"Could you please tell us," Beth asked sitting down at the eating table and getting comfortable with a baby in her arms. Souta and Carl also sat down wanting to hear too. They wanted the distraction after what had happened today.

Shippo looked to Kagome who shrugged, "We like stories around here."

The fox demon thought it over, "Okay then...I guess I'll start with how I left Japan during the Feudal Era. A certain female thunder demon owed me a favor after I gave her a box of crayons."

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By the time Daryl and Maggie returned, it was past sun down.

Everyone was in the eating area enjoying what Kagome and Beth whipped up for dinner. Sesshōmaru had managed to get Sophia calm enough to eat something. And Carl was once again holding his baby sister.

Maggie barged in with her bag, "Beth. Kagome."

"I got water ready," the priestess said, already had some warm water ready for the baby's bottle. She kept reheating it to be prepared.

"How she doin'?" Daryl came in knelling next to Carl, looking at the baby. She started getting fussy since she was hungry.

"I'm sorry," Carl muttered to his sister, since he had no idea on how to comfort her.

Surprisingly, Daryl picked the baby up and began rocking her, making little shushing sounds.

When the formula was ready, Kagome handed Daryl the bottle and he began to feed the baby.

The new born accepted the bottle eagerly.

The hunter smiled at the baby as she ate.

That's when Daryl noticed that all eyes were on him. Watching him act so tenderly was a rare sight. Even Sesshōmaru was looking at him with a raised brow. Trying to keep his rough exterior in play Daryl cleared his throat, "She got a name yet?"

Carl shook his head, "I don't know...I was thinking...Carol."

Sophia turned to her friend in surprise.

But then Carl continued talking, "And there's Andrea...Amy...Jacqui...Patricia...Or Lori. I don't know."

Everyone's face fell to a frown as the young Grimes mentioned all the woman that had died in their group.

Once again, Daryl surprised everyone by cooing at the baby as she ate, "You like that? Huh?...Lil' Ass Kicker?" Everyone, minus Sesshōmaru, snickered at the nick name. "Right? That's a good name. You like that sweetheart? Huh?" he kept cooing at the baby.

Kagome smiled at the hunter, watching him as he gazed at the baby in adoration.

And a small hint of yearning...then disappointment.

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A little while later, Daryl went into his and Kagome's room. The priestess was already getting ready for bed by sitting on the mattress while brushing her hair.

"Sesshōmaru's on watch tonight," he told her as dropped his cross bow on the couch. "Everyone's already heading to their cells."

"And the baby?" Kagome asked concerned.

"Beth's gonna watch Lil 'Ass Kicker in her cell tonight since Rick ain't back," he told her.

Kagome sighed, "Glenn tried to talk to him. He said Rick pinned him against the wall like a mad man...I'm worried about him."

The hunter nodded, since he was also worried for his friend.

Rick didn't just lose a member of his group today.

He lost his wife.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked him, feeling lost on what was going to happen.

"We'll see how tomorrow plays out," Daryl told her.

Kagome put the brush down with her things, "I just hope he snaps out of it soon."

Daryl laid down, "Me too."

The priestess laid down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. "You looked cute with the baby tonight, Tenshi" Kagome said, smirking as she used Daryl's nickname for the baby.

Daryl snorted, "Stop."

"You did," Kagome praised, "You took care of her like a natural."

"Just a baby. It ain't rocket science," the hunter replied.

Kagome rolled her eyes, before a look of gloom fell on her face, "Still...It was nice look on you."

Daryl didn't see her face, but he felt Kagome body stiffen underneath him. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Nothing," she said unconvincingly.

The hunter wasn't going to let it go, "Hey," he said looking down at her and shaking her arm, "Talk to me, Baby Girl."

Kagome didn't say anything for a full minute before she sat up, not looking back at Daryl. "There's something I haven't told you," she began, "It's something I should have brought up when we first got together...But you deserve to know."

Daryl was starting to get nervous as he sat up, "What are you talkin' about?"

The priestess tucked her knees and rested her head on her on top of them. "I didn't come home from the Feudal Era, until Kaede said I was okay to travel down the well. But even then I was hurt pretty bad...Mama found me, and took me to the hospital. She made up some story to the doctors that I was part of a hit in run or something. They believed it since my mid-section was pretty banged up." The hunter wanted to ask questioned but knew Kagome wasn't finished. "The doctor said that I had four cracked ribs, a twisted ankle, a broken wrist, and a lot of bumps and bruises. He said I'd heal eventually...But there was some permanent damage," Kagome had to take a moment to continued. "In my x-rays, he found some scar tissue. Old injuries from finding the jewel shards and fighting Naraku...The doctor said that the damage was too severe...And that there was no way I'd ever be able to have any children."

Daryl was quiet, letting that information sink in. Kagome never mentioned being that badly injured the day she came home from the Feudal Era. Let alone that there was a permanent damage. 'Why she tellin' me this now?' he thought confused.

"I know having children should be the last thing on my mind. But after seeing you holding the baby...Maybe someday you'll want one too. And that's something I'll never be able to give you," Kagome said while wiping a silent tear from her eye.

The hunter's eyes widened in realization, "Think I'd leave ya cause of that?"

"No," Kagome immediately shook her head, finally turning to face him, "Of course not...But maybe someday you could want more...I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"Stop," Daryl told her, sounding a little harsher then he attended. "You don't need to worry about that shit."

The priestess looked at him, unsure of what he meant.

Daryl let out a small sigh as he brought Kagome in his arms, "This is all I need," he told her firmly, "All I want. Right here...You got it, Baby Girl?"

Kagome's eyes widened at his confession. She raised her head to look him in the eye. His gaze locked on hers softly but firmly.

All Kagome could do was nod in reply.

Satisfied with her response, Daryl captured her lips with his. He wanted to show Kagome just how much she meant to him.

Suddenly, a knock came on their door.

Daryl pulled away from Kagome irritated, "Who the hell?"

Kagome sensed who it was and immediately got up to open the door.

A whimpering Sophia was standing on the other side. She had a horrible nightmare about her mother being ripped apart by Walkers. Sophia woke up looking for her mom, trying to say it was just a bad dream, only to remember that her mother was gone.

"Come here," Kagome encouraged softly, bringing the young girl into a hug, which Sophia gladly accepted.

The young blonde whimpered into the priestess chest, "Can-Can I stay here tonight?" she muffled.

Kagome looked to Daryl, seeing if he would mind. The hunter gave a single nod. "Of course," she replied, leading Sophia to the mattress.

The young girl continued to cling to the priestess.

Kagome rubbed Sophia's back soothingly, telling her to just let it out. Not daring to say anything like 'It'll be okay' or 'It's alright'.

Because it wasn't.

If she didn't have Sophia to worry about, Kagome would be crying too. Carol was like a second mother to her and an amazing friend. 'It's not fair,' Kagome said, 'We lost two mothers and a good man today.'

Daryl slid up behind Kagome and kissed her shoulder. He missed Carol too. Before he came into the room, he went to visit the grave that Glenn, Oscar and Axel dug for her. 'Can't even lay Carol's body to rest,' Daryl cursed in his mind. Still, that didn't stop him from laying a Cherokee Rose that he'd found on the run on her grave.

The hunter glanced at the crying Sophia and made a promise, 'We'll watch out for her Carol. With our last breath.'

 **A lot of emotions in this chapter. Some good and some bad. But hey, who else practically melted when we first saw Daryl being so sweet to a baby? Anyway, what do you think? Next time: New and old alias reveal themselves.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	18. Let Us Help You

**Arrows and Scars**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **yourworldismine: Thanks. That's what I was going for. *wink wink***

 **bloodysilverfox: Good question...That's all I'm going to say about that.**

 **Tolazytologin (Guest): Yes it is. But Daryl was honest about how he felt towards the matter.**

 **NicoleR85: Well wait no longer.**

 **bloodmoon25: Another excellent question...Do you really want to find out?**

 **GreenHoneyTea: So many ships I should have my own marina. *insert drums and symbol music here***

 **Deathstarling556: ...Read this chapter.**

 **Kaggie21: It's always great to hear from you. Thank you so much for your kind words.**

 **MOONWOLF1234: Awww. I'm so glad I was able to help.**

 **kakashixangela: Oh they're both there. They just don't do or say anything...It happens in the show too...Weird huh?**

 **Tubafox: *insert tear here* I know.**

 **LovelyLadyMarMar: I hope thirty days was soon enough.**

 **Dolly (Guest): Glad you're enjoying it so far.**

 **Celestial Law: I'm sorry that those feelings were brought up, but I'm happy that it was a good way too. As for Shippo...Yes that's very true. LOL.**

 **Spastic Freak: I know. I love that scene so much.**

 **Faith (Guest): I understand how you feel. I didn't like doing that to her either. But I think that's important to stick to the Walking Dead's theme of not everyone being able to have a complete happy ending. I also wanted to show that Daryl's feelings for Kagome were strong enough for readers to know that despite Kagome's circumstance he still cares for her.**

 **Thank all of you for your awesome words of encouragement. And thank you to:** **FireRaven15, dark flame dragon,** **Shiovaun,** **Kushiel Blackheart,** **marcirio,** **Dreamer Rose,** **Gamergirlthe2nd,** **RedWolf Lover,** **AshNDick,** **EerieMarionette,** **Titatovenaares,** **Loving Angel, yenyprincess, MoonStar005,** **Marauder Heir, Lady Vakarian,** **TailorPark,** **TheMidnightTenshi,** **Minji12, Trance20666, hayba, RagingTempest1999,** **Karasu-archer,** **ironmanrocks,** **Bayluv, pokiemon1, and ZuruiSentoki for your interest in this fic.**

Disclaimer: Me no own. Please don't sue. Otherwise I'd have no chapters for you. (Did that actually rhyme?)

Chapter Eighteen: Let Us Help You

Michonne placed the dismembered undead creature next to the mutilated arms and legs she cut off earlier to make the letters 'G' and 'O'. She took a step back to admire her handy work. 'Go back,' she read the message to herself.

The sword wielder couldn't believe it had come to this. When she and Andrea were taken to Woodbury, a 'safe haven' from the undead ruled by someone who the town called the Governor, she didn't know what to expect.

The Governor was a good public speaker and was able to calm the survivors of the town whenever there were any doubts.

And the people fell for his act every time.

Straightaway Michonne didn't trust the man, not falling for his sweet words or pretty boy face. She had a keen sense about who she could trust even before the dead started rising, and this Governor made her skin crawl. Kilala confirmed her suspicions as she hissed at the Governor whenever he was present. He would simply joke and say that he wasn't much of a cat person anyway. If only he knew that Kilala was a demon and could sense the man's ill intentions and could effortlessly rip his face right off with her teeth. Michonne could have easily ordered the demon to transform and do just that, but she knew that Andrea would never forgive her if she done such a thing.

Even with demon cat's warning, and Michonne's pleading, Andrea fell for the Governor's charm. The blonde woman claimed that she was tired of running and wanted to give Woodbury a real shot. Michonne refused to stay in a place where her guard had to be kept up from the living, and decided to leave.

Andrea begged for the sword wielder to stay, but Michonne walked away with Kilala on her shoulder. Andrea may have been her friend but she was too naïve about what was going on around her.

"Meow," Kilala signaled as she ran back to her mistress from the woods.

Michonne kneeled down to the demon cat, "They're coming?" she asked, knowing that the Governor wouldn't let her go so easily. She had seen and heard too much at Woodbury for her to be kept alive.

Kilala nodded as her answer. She had seen four men from Woodbury coming towards them. The man that Andrea had known before, Merle, was tracking their movements. Kilala was impressed by the hunter's skills, but he didn't know her mistress.

Michonne took a deep breath to gather her courage, "You know the rule. No transforming unless it's a last resort." Kilala's using her bigger form was a bit of risk with Walkers and humans roaming around. Her movement would always catch something's attention. It was smarter to keep her small where she was less noticeable.

"Meow," Kilala replied to the order. She didn't like the idea of her mistress taking on these men alone, but the demon cat knew she could handle it.

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It was a sad morning at the prison.

Kagome made food for everyone for breakfast and passed it around. She glanced over at Sophia and Carl, who were sitting in a small table with Souta. Sesshōmaru stared at the little girl, still sensing her sadness even though her tears had stopped falling. Shippo was sitting with Hershel and Beth, all of them entertaining the baby. Maggie was sitting next to Glenn, just playing with their food while deep in thought. Daryl was sitting on the stairs that led to the loft up, eating his food next to Oscar.

The rest of the group was scattered around the room looking just as gloomy.

No one knew what to say to each other.

Suddenly, the sound of a jail door opening brought everyone's attention to the new arrival.

Everyone stared in shock to see Rick come through the door. It looked like he just got cleaned up and put on some fresh clothes. He seemed much calmer now than when Glenn had tried to retrieve him.

"Everybody okay?" Rick asked the group.

Maggie gave a sigh of relief before she answered, "Yeah, we are."

"What about you?" Hershel asked their leader.

Instead of answering the question Rick said, "I cleared out the boiler block."

Daryl raised a brow, "How many were there?" he asked, referring to the Walkers.

Rick shrugged, "I don't know. A dozen. Two dozen.

Kagome shook her head, 'He's lucky he didn't get himself killed.'

"I have to get back," Rick announced before he patted his son gently on the back, "Just wanted to check on Carl."

"You should eat something," Kagome suggested, "You need to keep your strength up."

"No thanks," Rick instantly answered.

Glenn stood up, "Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies. You don't have to."

"No, I do," Rick replied to him sternly.

"But," Glenn tried to argue.

"Leave him be," Sesshōmaru spoke up to the Korean, "Your alpha has spoken."

Glenn looked down in defeat and sat down in his spot.

Rick nodded to the demon lord in appreciation before walking over to Daryl. "Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

The hunter nodded, "Yeah. We're runnin' low an ammo, though."

"Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon," Glenn spoke up again. "We found a phone book that lists places to hit to look for bullets and formula."

"We cleared out the generator room," Daryl told Rick. He had woken up early this morning to clear out the bodies from the incident that the living inmate had started. It was hard to get up that morning. When he looked at Kagome as she slept with Sophia cradled in her arms, he was reminded that Carol was gone. "Axel's there trying to fix it now, in case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well," he finished.

Rick nodded, "Good," he said as he went back out the door.

Kagome shook her head in disappointment since Rick did not ask about or even glance over at his newborn daughter.

"Want me to drag his ass back here?" Shippo asked Kagome, not afraid to speak his anger like the others.

"It would be unwise," Sesshōmaru informed. "You must leave him alone for now. The well fair of the pack is more important at the moment."

As much as the priestess hated to admit it, the demon lord was right. She only hoped that Rick would snap out of it soon. 'Please snap out of it soon. Carl and the baby need him.'

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After finishing up breakfast, Kagome went back to hers and Daryl's room to check on the medicinal herbs they had left. 'Not much left,' she realized. 'I'll have to go through the area soon to look for some.'

Daryl came into the room a moment later, "Hey," he greeted her, "Gonna check the lower levels. Taken' Oscar and Carl with me."

"Carl too?" Kagome questioned.

The hunter nodded, "Kid lost his mom...You and I know what that's like," he said simply.

Kagome nodded in understanding and walked over to kiss him. Daryl wasn't the kind to open up about his past to just anyone. There was some things that he hadn't even told her yet. But Kagome never pressured Daryl to talk to her about it. It was his past and she had no right to pry. "Thank you, Tenshi," she told him after pulling from their kiss, grateful that Daryl was willing to help Carl with his own loss.

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Sophia was sitting outside on the basketball court. She helped closed the gate when Glenn and Maggie left to go on their run. Instead of heading back inside, she found herself just sitting down and looking at the scenery.

She knew Sesshōmaru was watching her from a distance but he didn't come to get her, and for that she was grateful.

After all the crying that Sophia had done last night with him and Kagome, she wanted a few minutes alone.

The little blonde stared out into the clearing beyond the gates watching the Walkers pass by or approach the prison. Her eyes drifted to the prion court yard where the graves were placed. The last one on the right had pebbles that spelled out the letter C.

Her mother's grave.

This was the last place Sophia thought she'd see her mother die.

'Maybe Daddy...But not Mama,' she thought, thinking of her bastard father. It felt good to finally think badly of her father after being so afraid of him almost her whole life.

She thought it would be her and mother against the world of Walkers after he died.

'But that dream's dead,' she thought sadly.

Souta walked out of the prison, and saw Sophia sitting by herself. He glanced over and saw Sesshōmaru leaning against the wall watching her. The demon glanced at the young Higurashi for a moment before he went back inside the prison. **"Guard her with your life,"** the demon said simply.

Souta watched the demon as left before turning back to Sophia. The young man walked down the steps and made his way over and sat next to his crush. "I miss her too," Souta told Sophia.

The young blonde didn't speak. She was afraid that if she did, she'd cry again.

And Sophia was tired of crying.

So instead, she leaned her head down on Souta's shoulder and wrapped her hand around his.

Souta's breath hitched at the action and felt his face go warm. Running on instinct, Souta rested his head on top of hers as they continued to sit quietly, looking at the harsh world around them.

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Beth rocked the whimpering newborn back and forth in her arms inside her cell room. The baby just woke up from her nap and she was being a little fussy. Hershel had left her a while ago to try and talk to Rick, leaving Beth with the baby. She didn't mind it though, and it made her happy that she was able to keep herself busy and useful.

Plus Beth had some entertaining company.

"Hey sweetie," Shippo cooed at the baby to get her to look at him. The fox demon started to make funny faces at the crying baby. The newborn watched Shippo curiously making her whimpering begin to stop.

Beth smiled at the exchange, "Most guys I used to know freaked out around a crying baby."

"I'm not most guys," Shippo stated as he made one more funny face which made the baby quiet down, "Fox demon remember."

The farmer's daughter sat down on her bed, still rocking the baby. "What's it like?" she suddenly asked, making Shippo raise a brow. "Being a demon. What's it like?" she asked more specifically. Beth had been wondering this for a while but didn't dare ask Sesshōmaru such a question.

Shippo wasn't offended, and only shrugged as he sat on the ground and leaned against the wall. "Don't know. I've never been anything else...What's it like being human?" he countered to show her what he meant.

Beth gave a small smile, "I see your point...It's just so strange. I grew up thinking that demons were evil or something."

"Some are and some aren't" Shippo told her, "Just like humans. It's that person's choice. Some of us want spread chaos in the world, while just want to live their lives. Meet somebody. Have two point five kids and a house with a picket fence."

"What, no dog?" she joked at the cliché.

"No way," Shippo grimaced at the idea, "I've had enough of dogs to last me a life time...Wouldn't mind a cat though."

Beth tilted her head, "Sounds pretty nice...Why didn't you get married and have kids after all these years?"

Shippo gave a famous kitsune smirk, "And deny the rest of woman of the world my foxy charms? Not a chance."

The farm girl gave him a 'you can't fool me gaze', "What's the real reason?" she asked him.

The fox demon smirked at the girl, "Just haven't met the right woman yet."

"What about Rin?" Beth brought up, "Didn't you love her?"

Shippo looked down at his fingers, looking fascinated by his nails, "I did...But I was too young and stupid to tell her...When I finally got the nerve it was too late. She met that man in the village and she fell in love with him." Shippo gave an ironic smirk. "I finally understand why Inuyasha never told Kagome how he felt about her."

Beth looked confused, "What do you mean?"

The fox demon finally looked up suddenly looking very serious, "When those with demon blood love a human, they're asking the person to give up a piece of themselves to be with us. A piece of their humanity...Asking Rin to choose me over her own kind, would have been the most selfish thing I would have ever done."

"But you would have loved her, right?" Beth interrupted.

Shippo raised a brow, "Of course. Us fox demons take our mates very seriously."

"I think she'd have believed it was worth it...Love usually is," Beth said and then looked to the baby, "You think so, Little Ass Kicker?"

The baby merely cooed in reply.

The fox demon snorted, "Oh that nickname is going to take this baby places."

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Kilala meowed with worry as her mistress as she limped while grab there hidden belongings.

Merle had shot Michonne in the leg.

In fury the demon cat bit and scratched Merle in the exact same place with her teeth and claws. The hunter had cursed at Kilala as she ran to catch up with her mistress who was now covered in blood of the undead. A few of those creatures had surrounded them, and Michonne had some of the undead intestines cover her body.

Ignoring the awful corpse smell, Kilala ran next to Michonne who scooped her making some undead blood cover her fur.

Michonne winced as she put the bag on her shoulder, making Kilala meow in concern.

"I'm fine," she said while wincing to her companion.

Before another noise was made, the sound of growling caught their ears.

A few of the undead began walking towards the sword wielder and demon cat.

Both of them took a fighting stance, ready to fight for their lives.

Then surprisingly, none of the dead took interest in them.

They simply walked by, as if they didn't see either of them.

Michonne and Kilala looked at one another, wondering what could have made them do such a thing.

Until they remembered the undead blood that was covering them.

Kilala took a step towards her mistress and gave a small sniff, "Meow," she said delightfully.

Michonne raised a brow, "Can you smell me?" she asked quietly.

Kilala shook her head no.

Her mistress smiled before wiping a bit of blood off her leather vest and smearing some more of it on Kilala's fur. "Just in case...Wouldn't want to lose you."

Even with Michonne's blood covered hand, Kilala rubbed her side to her mistress hand affectionately. Her way of saying that she didn't want to lose her either.

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Kagome walked with the small plate of food in her hand, down to the room where Hershel said Rick was hiding.

The veterinarian voiced his concerns when he informed the priestess that Rick claimed that someone had called on the phone inside the room. Their leader said that there were people who knew a place where it was safe. But when Hershel picked up the phone to see if it was actually working, there was no dial tone.

Rick was hallucinating.

Wanting to check on him and make sure he was eating, Kagome some leftovers from lunch and made her way to see Rick.

Before the priestess walked into the room she heard Rick talking.

"No, I just lost her," he said into the phone, "But if that's what it takes."

'He's talking about Lori,' Kagome realized. She scanned the room quickly and noticed the dead Walker in the corner that had an enormous belly. It took all the priestess had not to scream out at what had happened to Lori's body. 'She deserved more than that.'

There was a bit of a pause before Rick spoke again, "That sounds...How...How do you know my name?" A few moments later, Rick hung up the phone and that's when Kagome walked inside.

"Wh-What did they say?" the priestess asked, wanting to distract herself from the Walker and not wanting to upset Rick by telling him that he was fantasizing that whole conversation.

It took a moment for the leader to speak, "They...They wanted me to talk about Lori...Then they said my name...I never gave it."

It took a moment for Kagome to respond, "Maybe you did and just forgot."

Rick blinked a few times, "Ma-maybe," he said feeling uncertain.

The priestess let out a sigh, "Here," she offered him the bowl of rabbit meat and cup of mixed fruit, "It's no good if you don't take care of yourself...You're the only one they will talk to."

Rick backed up from her and sat down on a nearby stool. "I...I didn't ask for this...Being the leader of this group."

"We're your family now, Rick," Kagome interrupted, as she put down the plate of food. "We're more than just a group of people who met under horrible circumstances now...And no, you didn't ask for this. But we can't change who we truly are, no matter how hard we try. Trust me I know."

The leader didn't reply for a few minutes, "When you were in the past...Did you ever wish that it wasn't you...That someone else had taken your place and gone through what you had?" he finally asked her.

The priestess blinked in surprise and looked down at her feet in deep thought. No one had ever really asked her that question before. But if Kagome had to be honest, "Yes, I did wish that...In the beginning...I was just a fifteen year old girl who was supposed to worry about school and boys. Instead I was worried about hunting and killing demons while also learning old first aid remedies...There was a moment when I asked why it was all happening to me, when I had nothing to do with what happened between Inuyasha, Kikyo and Naraku." Rick was silent as he watched Kagome become more vulnerable then he'd ever seen her before. "But now...I wouldn't change what had happened for anything...I learned so much about who I was and what I was capable of. I met amazing people. And discovered a world that I didn't even know existed...Somehow, without even realizing as we searched for Naraku and the Jewel...I found me." Kagome turned back to Rick realizing that she was probably getting off topic. "You didn't ask to be the leader of your new family Rick...But maybe it was who you were meant to become." The priestess pushed the plate of food towards him, "And our family needs you now."

Rick stared at the priestess as he absorbed her words before he accepted food without protest. He scarfed it down quickly, not even realizing he was so hungry.

Satisfied with this, Kagome turned to leave him.

"Thank you," Rick said after paused in his meal.

The priestess turned and nodded, "You don't have to rush. We'll handle things until you come back."

Kagome walked into the hallway of the prison, finally letting the tears she'd been holding back fall down her face. 'Kami...Lori...please help him through this.'

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An hour later, Kagome and Beth were making another formula bottle for the baby, who was being taken care of by Hershel, while Shippo, Souta and Sophia were playing a card game. Sesshōmaru had taken off into the woods to prevent more Walkers from getting too close.

That was when Oscar and Carl had come back from checking the halls of the prison.

"Where's Daryl?" Kagome asked them.

"We found a Walker in one of the cells...Carol's knife was jabbed in its throat," Oscar informed.

Hearing this information, Sophia slammed her cards down and ran into her cell room, making Souta follow right behind her.

Kagome sighed, "I'll be back," she told the others before going off to find the hunter.

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Sesshōmaru was walking swiftly among the road as Walker's continued to come toward him. The demon lord easily took them down with his father's fang.

There would have been a time when Sesshōmaru would have called the Tenseiga a useless weapon.

But now it was the best thing to keep Sophia, his charge, alive and safe.

It took longer than it should, but Sesshōmaru finally understood the lesson his father had given him all those years ago.

Compassion.

It was a complicated emotion that he was still trying to understand.

Even as the years went by and he grew attached to many of Rin's decedents, he didn't fully comprehend this feeling.

Not until Carol's death.

That human woman that could not leave his mind no matter what he had been doing.

Before the demon could contemplate more on his thoughts, his nose smelt it. 'Blood,' he indicated, 'Blood of a living being...And something else.'

The demon lord continued killing the Walkers until he spotted the source of the blood.

A woman, covered in Walker blood, carrying a red grocery basket filled with baby formula while a familiar feline was riding on her shoulder.

Michonne was about to draw her sword at the sight of the unknown man when Kilala jumped off her shoulder and did the most peculiar thing.

She sat in front of the man and bowed her head as if in respect.

"If it isn't Kilala," Sesshōmaru addressed the demon cat.

Kilala meowed in reply as she looked back up and continued to meow to the demon lord, as if she were talking to him.

Michonne watched the scene in interest, as the man hung on Kilala's every movement and sound. 'Can he understand her?' she wondered in slight bafflement.

That's when Michonne realized that this man wasn't human.

He was a demon, just like Kilala.

"I see," Sesshōmaru said when Kilala was finished explaining her tale before turning to the woman. "If you do not wish to die from that wound of yours, you better come with me," he stated before turning around, slicing another Walker down with ease.

Kilala quickly transformed, and lowered herself so Michonne could climb on her back. Her mistress hesitated for a moment before climbing on, allowing the demon cat to follow Sesshōmaru. 'Kilala seems to trust him...But still' she thought warily, finally realizing that this man was not human. "Where are we going?" she asked him.

"To meet some old friends of your companion," Sesshōmaru answered without turning around.

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Kagome wandered the halls until she found Daryl sitting against a wall, throwing Carol's knife repeatedly into the ground.

The hunter didn't acknowledge the priestess presence.

"I know you miss her," she voiced sitting next to him, "She was a good friend."

Daryl simply nodded in reply.

Carol had come a long way from that mousy woman in the Quarry that was getting beaten up by her husband.

She had become a strong fighter, a true asset to the group.

A mother hen to all of them.

'And I let her down,' Daryl reminded himself.

"Don't," Kagome cautioned, feeling the guilt consume his soul. "Carol wouldn't want you to feel this way. She would."

The priestess paused, making the hunter look at her.

"What?" Daryl asked.

Kagome looked over to the door in front of them.

The door was swing slowly forward before closing slowly back.

"Oh that," Daryl acknowledged, "Just a Walker or two. Don't look like they got much fight in'em."

Kagome quickly stood up and raised her hand close to the door. 'It's faint but,' she thought, sensing a familiar presence. "Oh my Kami!" the priestess almost shouted in realization before she pulled the dead Walker away from blocking the door.

"The fuck you doin'" Daryl protested, "The Walker."

"It's not a Walker," Kagome said as she opened to door and smiled at what she found.

A weak looking, but very much alive, Carol sitting on the floor.

Once Daryl saw the small weak woman, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the group.

The priestess sprinted ahead of them to warn the others.

"Hershel! Beth!" Kagome called into the cafeteria.

Shippo came out from the cell block, "There outside with Rick. What's wrong?"

"Get me clean drinking water. Now!" she ordered her son, who immediately followed orders.

Hearing the commotion, Souta and Sophia ran back into the cafeteria.

"What's going on?" Souta asked his sister.

Before she could reply, Daryl came in carrying Carol bridal style.

Sophia's eyes widen in amazement and joy, "Mama!"

Carol, who was barely conscious, tilted her head over to her daughter and smiled. 'Thank God. My baby's alive' she thought in relief.

Daryl carried Carol into the cell blocks and laid her down on one of the bottom bunks.

Shippo and Kagome came into the cell room with all the water they could carry. "Keep them back," she ordered the fox demon to keep Souta and Sophia away. Kagome quickly twisted off one of the bottles of water and gently put it in Carol's mouth. "Drink slowly," she instructed, which Carol tried her best to do so. As she watched her friend drink, Kagome couldn't help but give a teary eyed smile.

"She gonna be okay?" Daryl asked with concern.

Kagome nodded, "She's just dehydrated. She'll be okay."

Sophia openly cried tears of happiness and hugged Souta in relief.

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Outside the prison, Rick carried his newborn daughter with Carl walking next to him. Hershel and Beth walking right behind them.

"She looks like you," Rick pointed out to his son.

Carl smirked at his father, glad that he was back.

Rick smiled at the baby before he quickly glanced up and noticed Sesshōmaru returning.

And he wasn't alone.

'The hell,' he thought as he saw a giant tiger sized cat carrying an African American woman.

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Inside the cellblock, once Carol had enough to drink, Sophia ran to the bed and hugged her mother's waist, refusing to let go.

"Ain't that a pretty sight," Shippo said before grabbing Kagome's shoulder and squeezed it, "Good job, Mom."

The priestess nodded as she leaned against the wall, 'Thank you Kami,' she thought gratefully. They needed some good news after all they've been through the past few days.

Suddenly, the sound of the metal door opening made everyone jump.

"Carl, get a blanket," they heard Rick instruct, "Beth, water and a towel."

"Now what?" Daryl asked out loud.

Shippo's demon senses picked up a familiar presence that he hadn't felt in a long time. "No way," he said before smiling and grabbing his mother's hand and dragging her back to the cafeteria.

"Shippo what are you," she was about to ask him when she saw what he meant.

A large demon cat was carrying an unconscious woman. She lowered to the ground so Rick could roll her onto the blanket to treat the bullet wound on her leg. Rick didn't want to risk putting a stranger in the cell blocks.

Once her mistress was being taken care of, Kilala transformed back into her smaller size, startling a few people with the demonic fire she created. "Meow," she said cutely to them, to show she meant no harm.

"Kilala?" Kagome identify in surprise as she entered the room, making the demon cat turn her attention to the priestess. Kilala's eyes widened at the sight of her friend and ran towards her in delight. "Kilala!" Kagome repeated gleefully as kneeled down and picked up the demon cat and hugged her closely. "Oh my Kami! You're alive!"

"Kilala," Carl repeated in recognition, "That demon cat from your stories?"

Kagome nodded, while she gave him a better look at the demon cat, "Yep. This is her."

"Only, she wasn't covered in Walker guts," Shippo pointed out her blood soaked fur.

"Are you hurt?" Kagome asked the cat demon with worry. Kilala shook her head no before licking Kagome's cheek. "I've missed you too," she smiled at her old friend.

While Rick and Hershel tended to their new guest, Kagome and Shippo tended to their old demon friend. They cleaned her of the Walker blood and gave Kilala water and some food.

"Sorry we don't have any fish," the priestess told the cat in regret.

"Meow," Kilala replied back, to say that the jerky that they gave her was good enough. The demon couldn't believe that she had not only run into the demon lord of the west, but Kagome and Shippo too. After the final battle, and losing her master Sango, Kilala stayed with Kohaku since he was the last remaining contact of her mistress and traveled with him. The demon cat had never dreamed that she'd see any of her old friends again. But here they were. And if anyone could help her current mistress, it would be her old companions.

"Rick," Daryl called out, finally coming out of the cell block. "Who the hell is this?" he gestured to their new guest.

The leader looked to the now conscious woman, "You want to tell us your name."

The woman didn't speak.

"Her name is Michonne," Sesshōmaru answered for her, making the female sword wielder glare at him.

"She tell you that?" Rick asked the demon lord.

"No. Her guardian did," Sesshōmaru gestured to Kilala who was eating on one of the tables in her small form.

Everyone raised a brow at his answer.

The cat could talk?

"You can understand her?" Kagome asked the demon lord in amazement.

"How come you can and I can't?" Shippo questioned.

Sesshōmaru looked at the demon fox with narrowed eyes, "You don't take the time to listen."

Shippo pouted at the answer, "I do too," he mumbled under his breath.

Daryl shook his head, "Y'all come on in here."

Rick stood up and looked at the hunter, "Everything alright?"

"You're gonna want to see this," Daryl replied before turning to the demon lord, "You too."

Rick nodded, "Carl, get the bag," he instructed before turning back to Michonne. "We'll keep this safe and sound," he gestured to the sword he was holding. "The doors are all locked. You'll be safe here. And we can treat that wound of yours."

Michonne only glared at Rick, obviously not trusting him. "I didn't ask for your help," she sneered at him.

"Doesn't matter. Can't let you leave," he stated before turning into the cell blocks. "You two watch her," he quickly ordered Kagome and Shippo.

Daryl looked at the priestess question, who mouthed, 'I'll be fine.' With that the hunter closed the gate and locked it.

"Man, Rick's bedside manner sucks," the demon fox commented out loud.

Kagome only nodded in reply. "I'm sorry about him," she told Michonne.

The sword wilder didn't say a word to either of them.

Noticing the wound, the priestess started making an herbal remedy for disinfection while Shippo made some food for Michonne.

"Hope you like plain oatmeal," Shippo said as he made the mix.

Kilala, who was done with her snack, walked over to her mistress with concern.

Instead of acknowledging the demon cat, Michonne looked to the young girl mixing plant stuff on the table. "How do you know Kilala?" she asked the young Japanese woman.

"She's an old friend," Kagome answered as she walked over to her once the paste ready. "And you?" she asked, referring to how she knew the demon cat.

"Old family pet," Michonne answered vaguely.

Kagome nodded and decided not to pry anymore, thinking that Michonne had been through enough interrogation for now. "Okay, this is going to clean the wound. It's going to sting, so take a deep breath," she instructed, Michonne merely studied the priestess and showed no sign of listening to her. "Alright," Kagome said accepting the sword wilder's choice, before placing the herb paste on the gunshot wound.

Michonne winced and pulled her leg back.

"Told you," Kagome scolded the woman before going back and putting on the rest of the paste. "There. All done."

That's when Shippo walked over with the finished oatmeal, "Here you go," he offered, "Kilala was starving so that must mean you are too."

Michonne continued to study the two people in front of her. Unsure what to make of them and their group. 'Who are these people?'

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Eventually Michonne ate at one of the tables, and Kagome informed her that she'll need stitches for the wound when Rick, Hershel and Daryl came back out of the cell block.

"We'll finish treating your wound. Give you food and water, then send you on your way," Rick told Michonne.

Kagome rolled her eyes, 'He could at least offer her a chance to stay here.' She could sense that Michonne had a strong and loyal soul. If anything, they should be convincing her to stay and join their group.

"But we need to know how you found us," Rick continued, "And why you were carrying formula?"

Michonne grabbed a towel and put pressure on her wound, "The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl."

Kagome looked to Daryl, both of them thinking the same thing. 'Glenn and Maggie.'

"What happened?" Rick asked as calmly as he could, hiding his worry for Maggie and Glenn.

"Were they attacked?" Hershel asked, worried about his oldest daughter.

Michonne shook her head no, "They were taken."

"Taken?" Rick questioned, "By who?"

"By the same son of a bitch who shot me," she replied vaguely and with malice.

Rick glared at Michonne, "These are our people. You tell us what happened now!" he growled grabbing her wound and applying pressure.

"Rick!" Kagome shouted in protest.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" Michonne threatened him. Kilala growled from her spot next to her mistress.

"You better start talkin'" Daryl threatened Michonne by pointing his crossbow at her, "You're gonna have a bigger problem than a gunshot wound."

That's when Kagome stood in front of Michonne. "Stop it! Both of you!" she warned Rick and Daryl. "This woman has done nothing wrong. And she helped your daughter by bringing that baby formula."

"You trust her?" Rick questioned the priestess.

"Yes," Kagome replied, "She has Kilala with her. She could definitely be trusted." Rick glanced over to the demon cat he looked like she was ready to pounce on him if he touched her mistress again. "I haven't been wrong yet about things like this...Please trust me," she pleaded to Rick and Daryl.

Both men looked at one another in consideration, before Daryl lowered his crossbow.

Kagome turned back to Michonne, "Please, tell us what you know."

Rick tried to remain calm, "You came here for a reason," he told Michonne.

It took a moment for her to respond, "There's a town...Woodbury. About 75 survivors. I think your friends were taken there."

"A whole town?" Rick questioned.

"Yes, it's run by this guy who calls himself the Governor. Pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type," Michonne answered with venom in her voice.

"Any muscle?" Daryl asked her about the town.

"Paramilitary wannabes," she answered, "They have armed sentries on every wall."

Kagome's eyes widened, 'That's pretty impressive.'

"You know a way in?" Rick asked Michonne.

"The place is secure from Walkers," she replied, "But we could slip our way through."

Then finally the important question, "How'd you know how to get here?"

"They mentioned a prison. Said which direction was in. Ran into your guy about half way there," she said gesturing to Sesshōmaru in the cell block. "Do you know who he is?" she quickly asked him.

Kagome was the one to nod, "Yes, we know who and what he is," she answered, making Michonne's eyes widen in surprise.

"Cocky sumbitch, is what he is," Daryl muttered.

"I heard that, Hunter," Sesshōmaru growled from the cellblocks.

"So you know about demons then," Rick stated to Michonne.

"My family passed down stories about them for generations. They used to kill the demons that once roamed the earth," she explained, "Except for Kilala. She was given to my family a long time ago by an Asian foreigner before he died."

Kagome's eyes widened, "Kohaku," she spoke to no one in particular.

Michonne turned to the priestess, "You know of him?" she asked surprised as Kagome nodded yes. "Who are you?" the sword wilder asked her in bewilderment.

"We'll get into that later," Rick interrupted, "We need that wound of yours to get treated," he turned to the veterinarian, "This is Hershel, the father of the girl who was taken. He'll take care of you."

Rick gestured for the rest of the group to follow him.

The priestess and the fox demon stood behind them to talk.

"Kilala must have left to find Kohaku after the battle," Shippo stated, "Miroku and I lost track of her after you went back home."

Kagome nodded in agreement, "At least Kilala found a family...That's good."

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While Hershel was stitching up Michonne's wound, with Carl on guard just in case she did try something, the group discussed about what they should do to rescue Maggie and Glenn.

"How do you know we can trust her?" Oscar asked skeptically.

Kagome rolled her eyes from her spot against the wall, "We've been over this already."

"This is Maggie and Glenn," Beth reminded him, "Why are we even debating?"

"We ain't," Daryl stated, "I'll go after 'em."

Rick shook his head, "Well, this place sounds pretty secure. You can't go alone."

"I'll go," Beth immediately voiced.

"Me too," Axel volunteered.

Oscar nodded, "I'm in."

"You know I'm in," Kagome volunteered.

Shippo's eyes widened, "Oh hell no!"

Kagome looked at him and put her hands to her sides, "Excuse me?"

Daryl snorted, feeling sorry for the fox demon.

The fox demon gulped a little, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle against his adoptive mother but tried to stay strong. "We don't know what these people are capable of...You could get hurt. Or die."

"All the more reason why I should go," the priestess replied.

Shippo swore under his breath, "Fine. But if she's going then so am I."

Rick looked at the group around them and came up with the most sensible plan.

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"You have got to be kidding me," Shippo cursed at Rick twenty minutes later, after he informed that it would be Rick, Oscar, Michonne, Daryl and Kagome on this rescue mission. Kilala was also going with them since she refused to leave her injured mistress.

"We need you here Shippo," Kagome said as she helped Daryl pack the vehicle with the flash bangs and tear gas, just in case they needed them.

"I don't see why," the fox demon argued.

This time it was Daryl that spoke, "We need you to protect the others here, Pony Tail."

"I thought that's what Sesshōmaru was for," the fox demon pointed out.

"Against Walkers, yes," Kagome agreed, "But when it comes to the other's wellbeing, you're the one I trust with that."

Shippo gave a low growl, knowing that she was right, "Always leaving me behind in a fight."

Kagome smiled at him, "You're my baby. I'm always going to want to protect you."

The fox demon sighed and hugged his mother fiercely.

Daryl watched them as he recalled Kagome confiding her secret about not being able to have children. 'Damn shame...She's a good mom.'

Pulling back from their hug, Shippo glared at the hunter. "If she dies, so do you," he warned him about Kagome.

"What he said," Souta voiced as he and Carl carried the rest of the rescue team's supplies.

Daryl nodded before putting on his vest, "Figure' as much," he said before looking at Carl. "And don't worry 'bout your old man. We'll keep an eye on him."

Carl gave a nod in gratitude before Rick called him over to talk to him.

Kagome smiled at the father and son before she looked over to Souta. Her little brother had grown so much over this past year since that time at the Quarry. Still, she took off her necklace and gave it to him. "I'll be back for this," she promised him.

Souta nodded, "Just stay safe."

The priestess nodded before hugging her little brother. **"Stay strong, Souta,"** she told him in Japanese.

" **I will...I have someone to protect,"** he reminded her.

Kagome smiled as she released her brother, **"So do I,"** she replied before looking at Daryl who was saying good bye to Carol.

Once all the goodbyes were said, the rescue team piled up in the car and made their way to Woodbury.

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Michonne told Rick which direction to go as they headed to Woodbury.

Once they were a mile away, the sword wilder said to stop the car.

Rick pulled over to the side of the road as instructed.

"They have patrols," Michonne informed them, "We're better off on foot."

The leader looked to the priestess, "This area clear."

Kagome used her powers to quickly scan the area, "We're okay. No one alive is near us."

Michonne looked to the Asian woman in confusion, "You can tell that?"

The priestess nodded, "I can sense living souls."

"And the nonliving?" Oscar asked, still not knowing much about her.

Kagome shook her head, "Not so much."

"Pity," Michonne voiced in disappointment.

The rescue team gathered the bags from the car and began walking in the woods.

Michonne would occasionally wince as she put too much pressure on her leg. Kilala meowed at her mistress, wanting to carry her. "I'll be fine," she told the demon cat.

Kagome picked Kilala up and began to carry her, "We don't want certain people shooting at our favorite demon cat now would we."

Michonne looked at Kagome, still unsure what to make of her. The way she talked to Kilala and her unusual gifts, reminded her of one of the stories told by her family. 'How odd,' she thought to herself.

As Oscar, Kagome, and Michonne took the front, Rick and Daryl stood back, just in case something undead passed by them.

This gave Rick a chance to talk to Daryl, "You know, what you did for me...For my baby while I was...working things out. Thank you."

Daryl shrugged, "It's what we do."

Rick nodded, "Still...I can't thank you and Kagome enough...She even helped bring me back...You're a lucky guy."

The hunter didn't reply. He only stared at Kagome as she took a few steps ahead, scanning the woods with her powers again.

Yes, Daryl knew he was lucky to have her.

But he a part of him still thought that he didn't deserve her.

He'd never voiced these thoughts to her, fearing that she'd come to her senses about their relationship and leave him. 'Don't know what I'd do if she did,' the hunter weakly admitted to himself.

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Suddenly the sound of Walkers came close to the group.

"Rick," Daryl warned his leader in a whisper.

"Everyone down," Rick ordered while still keeping a whisper. "Get in formation. No gun fire. Kagome make a barrier."

The priestess dropped Kilala on the ground and made a barrier to surround the group as the Walkers came for them. As usual, the Walker's pressed against the barrier, trying to get to their next meal. This gave Rick, Daryl, Oscar and Michonne a chance to kill the Walker's closest to them. Kilala couldn't help, since the barrier would have harmed her if she touched it.

But as they did so, more Walker's began appearing through the trees.

"There's too many of'em," Daryl pointed out to Rick.

Rick looked for an opening and found a small path, "This way," he pointed, "Keep Kagome in the middle.

Kagome did her best to stay in the center of the formation as they quickly ran to the clear path away from the Walkers.

As they ran, Rick spotted an old worn out house, "In there," he pointed before they all ran inside the house.

Michonne came in last and shut the door behind them. "You're a priestess," Michonne stated, finally figuring it out.

"A what?" Oscar asked, not having witnessed Kagome's power until today.

"Keep it down," Rick snapped at them.

Daryl covered his mouth and nose, "The smell, it's loud."

"The hell is that?" Oscar asked.

Kilala hissed at something on the ground.

A dead dog rotting on the ground.

"I guess Lassie went home," Daryl complained.

Kagome looked around the place and then froze, "Rick," she whispered getting his attention, "Someone else is here."

Rick and Daryl took out there knives. 'Where' they mouthed.

The priestess pointed to the lump on the bed. It hadn't moved since they got here. 'It's a weak soul but it's still living.'

Rick quickly pulled back the blankest that revealed an old man with a shot gun.

"Ah!" the man screamed before pointing his gun at them, "Who the hell are you?!"

"Shh," Kagome tried to silence the man as the Walker continued to bang on the walls.

"We don't mean any harm," Rick tried to steady the man.

"Get out of my house!" the man yelled.

Rick nodded, "Okay, we will. But we can't right now."

"I'm calling the cops!" the man yelled.

The other's couldn't help but roll their eyes. Whoever this man was, his mind wasn't all their and had no idea of what was going on around him.

Rick tried pleading with the man, but it was no use. He tried to take the man down to silence him, but he got away and almost opened the door to let the Walkers in. Michonne stopped the man by jamming her sword into his flesh and killed him. No one questioned her methods, since there were still more Walkers coming towards the door.

Daryl looked out the window at the Walker's then the man on the floor. "Remember the Alamo?"

Kagome raised a brow, not knowing what that meant.

Luckily Rick did, "Help me with the door," he told Daryl and Michonne as he tried to lift the dead man from the ground.

That's when Kagome realized what they were doing.

"You've got to be kidding?" Oscar questioned their sanity.

The priestess shook her head but made no move to stop what the others were doing, "Kamis forgive us."

On Rick's que, he and Daryl threw the dead man out the front door of the house while the group escaped through the back.

Kagome couldn't help but glance back and saw the Walker's feeding on the dead man's flesh. She gave a quick silent prayer for him as the group fled.

As they ran, the sun had finally set, allowing the night to cloak the group as they approached Woodbury.

'Here we go,' Kagome couldn't help but gulp.

Something was warning the priestess that something wasn't right about this place.

Or was it someone?

 **And cut. I figured this was a good place to stop. Anyone else feel bad for that random old guy. I sort of did. Anyway, what do you think? Next time: Saving Glenn and Maggie and saying good bye...That last part's gonna suck to write**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	19. It's Time To Go

**Arrows and Scars**

 **A huge thank you and shout out to: NicoleR85,** **Spastic Freak,** **CresentWolf1, kakashixangela,** **Tolazytologin (Guest), MOONWOLF1234, darkangel0212, GreenHoneyTea,** **Fran (Guest), Suzululu4moe, Gome, Whispering Kage,** **grimmich, Sagira (Guest) for your encouragement. And also to:** **kiara703,** **Luthien Faye,** **vanesilva496, GreyTonedTiger,** **AutobotSeeker98, king monokuma, Immortal Senshi,** **MsBloodlove, night prince, , Ryshel, pinkus-pyon, Shiovaun,** **ElemenTalia, Suzululu4moe, insha-la, Terrence Rogue, kazekami1620, one-who-loves-Sesshy, Lectrice assidue,** **kirstenkcfox, Astyan Askar, ivaneles, missmeow1968, ZombieRot, Sam11288, Devil Dragon Angel, Flavia Santos, C. E. Grey,** **Gipsy1603,** **CrazyManhwaGirl, 1Whitedragon, and blueheartlovee for your support. Now own with the show!**

Disclaimer: Just in case it hasn't sunk in yet. I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter Nineteen: It's Time To Go

Michonne wasn't kidding when she said that there were guards all over the walls of Woodbury.

Men with bows and arrows.

Men with guns.

Even men with search lights to make sure nothing moved on the ground.

This was going to be tricky for the rescue team.

As the group stared at the men patrolling the wall trying to find an opening, Michonne snuck away with a small Kilala riding on her shoulder.

"Hey, hey," Rick whispered in a hiss as the sword wielder left them, "Damn it."

"She's just looking around," Kagome spoke quietly, "She's not leaving us."

Rick wasn't sure if he believed that before looking at the rest of the rescue team, "All right, we need to downsize."

Everyone took off all the big guns on their shoulders and traded them for small guns and knives. Daryl and Kagome kept their bows and arrows on their back.

"Ain't no way we're gonna check in all them buildins'. Not with all them guards there," Daryl whispered to Rick before looking to Kagome. "Could you find them?"

Kagome nodded, "If their close by, yes."

A twig snapping snapped everyone out of their conversation. The men quickly aimed their guns at the noise, making Kagome roll her eyes.

It was Michonne, who mouthed and pointed to the direction they came from, 'This way.'

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It had been one whole day since Carol had been found.

And she had had enough of the cold silent treatment from a certain demon lord.

When Daryl had brought in Rick and the others to show that she was alive, the demon lord only stared at her emotionlessly. The very moment that Carol looked up at him she smiled. In response, Sesshōmaru walked away, not saying a word to anyone. After that, the demon had gone out of his way to make sure he was never alone with her.

She stormed down the yard to the front of the fence and waited for Sesshōmaru to return. When the demon lord emerged from the woods she spoke, "Why have you been avoiding me?" she demanded to know

Sesshōmaru kept his face neutral, like always, and kept walking, "I don't know what you mean, onna."

"Yes you do," Carol accused as she glared at him. "Ever since Kagome and Daryl found me, you haven't been able to stand next to or barely even look at me."

Instead of answering Carol's early question, Sesshōmaru jumped the fence continued to walk toward the prison.

Normally, Carol would have let him go.

But not this time.

Carol wanted answers and she was going to get them.

"Is it because I was too weak?" she asked him.

That made the demon lord stop and glance towards her.

Since he didn't respond, Carol thought she knew his answer. "It is, isn't it? You're angry with me for not protecting myself or Sophia."

Sesshōmaru suddenly used his demon speed to stand in front of Carol, startling her. His intense amber eyes even more noticeable in the dark. "You. Know. Nothing," he growled before turning around and returning to the prison.

Carol's heart was beating rapidly at the encounter and her head more confused than before, 'What in the world is going through that demon's mind?'

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"This is the place," Michonne told the group back in Woodbury. Rick and Kagome were up front while Daryl and Oscar were watching out for guards.

Kagome quickly sensed for living souls in the building, "It's empty."

Rick swore under his breath before signaling everyone to get inside. Once in the building, he glared at Michonne, "You said this was where you were held."

"I was questioned," Michonne corrected him. She truly was trying her best to help these people, but there was only so much she could do. But from the sound of Rick's tone, he was getting very frustrated.

"Any idea where else they could be?" Rick asked Michonne, who shook her head no. He quickly turned to the priestess, "Any sign of them?"

Kagome was sensing the area, "There's dozens of people here. It's hard for me to focus on them while were moving around so much." The priestess tried to sort out the souls as best she could. There were lot of innocent but impressionable souls in this town, along with a few wicked ones as well. 'It's hard to keep it all straight.'

Daryl quickly peeked behind a curtain on the window and saw a few civilians walking outside, "I thought you said there was a curfew," he growled at Michonne.

The sword wilder heard the doubt in the hunter's voice, "That's what I was told. The street is packed during the day. Those are stragglers."

Rick took a quick look outside, "If anyone comes in here, were sitting ducks. We gotta move."

Michonne tried to think of the other places in Woodbury, "Your friends could be in the Governor's apartment."

"And if they ain't?" Daryl snapped at her.

"Then we'll look somewhere else," Michonne stated simply, while glaring at him.

"You said that you could help us," Rick said as he walked towards her.

"I'm doing what I can," she argued with the leader.

Oscar spoke, "Then where the hell are they?"

Kagome scowled at the men, "You three need to lay off," she said loudly as she could while still whispering. "Michonne is doing her best with what little she knows about. She got us this far, which was more then what we asked of her."

Rick contemplated the priestess words, "If things head south, we're cutting her loose."

"You think it's a trap?" Oscar quickly asked.

"Right now it's just blind leading the blind," Daryl pointed out.

The priestess rolled her eyes, "My Kami," she hissed in frustration, "Michonne doesn't know where Glenn and Maggie are being kept. This Governor didn't tell her where he kept prisoners. If you were running a place like this and wanted to keep prisoners, you wouldn't advertise it to strangers either."

The men looked at each other, as if they were just know considering that scenario.

Suddenly, a knock door startled everyone. They quickly scattered around the room to hide from the threat.

A man came into the room from the street, "I know you're in here," he said to the seemingly empty room. "I saw you moving from outside."

Kagome sensed the man soul and could tell he was innocent. 'He must think we're people who live in the town.'

"All right, now," the man walked in and looked around, "You're not supposed to be in here, and you know it."

The man passed by Kagome's hiding place, but he didn't see here.

"Who's in here?" the man asked again as he passed Rick and Oscar's hiding place.

Rick sparing out from behind a shelf, pinned the man against the wall with his arm and aimed a gun at his head. "Shut up. Get on your knees."

The man quickly did as he was told.

"Hands behind your back," Rick ordered the man before looking at Daryl, "Zip tie him." As the hunter binded the man's hands, Rick brought his gun closer to the man's head, "Where are our people?"

"I don't know," The man said honestly, "I don't know."

Rick didn't believe him, "You're holding some of our people, where the hell are they?" he demanded.

"I don't know," the man weakly cried out in fear.

Kagome firmly grabbed her leader's arm, "Rick he's telling the truth."

Whether he heard the priestess or not, Rick continued to glare at the man, "Open your mouth," he ordered before gaging the innocent man and knocking him unconscious.

Kagome gave a huge sigh in disproval. She hated that this was what it had come down to.

Daryl was the only one to notice her mood. "It's what we got to do to save Maggie and Glenn," he reminded her.

Although she didn't like, Kagome nodded in understanding.

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Back at the prison, Beth was taking care of the baby, who Rick and Carl finally named Judith, in her cell.

Shippo, Axel, and the children were in the room with her.

"You're good with her," Axel complimented as he sat next to Beth.

Shippo, who was up against the wall raised a brow at his tone.

"You got a little sister?" Axel asked her.

"No," Beth answered, starting to feel a little uncomfortable with Axel's questions and the way he was looking at her.

"How old are you anyway?" Axel suddenly asked.

Shippo's eyes widened, finally seeing where his friend was getting at, 'Oh hell no.'

"Umm seventeen," Beth answered desperately wanting to be saved from the inmate's advances.

Carol quickly cleared her throat at the cell entrance. "May I speak with you?" she told Axel who left the cell to follow her down the hall.

Shippo took over Axel's spot on the bed, "And that Judith, is what we call a pervert," he cooed at the baby while making the others laugh.

Meanwhile down the hall, Carol warned Axel to stay away from Beth. There was no way she was going to let this man near an innocent young lady.

"I didn't mean no offence," Axel said honestly, "I've been locked up awhile and, well, there weren't any women. You following me? I mean, Maggie she's with Glenn, Daryl's with Kagome and you're a lesbian."

Carol's eyes widened and she smiled in amusement, "Wh-what?"

"I know Sophia's your daughter but I figure she was adopted. You're a lesbian right? You got the short hair," Axel quickly explained.

"I'm not a lesbian," Carol corrected his assumption.

This caught Axel's interest, "My, my. Well this is interesting."

"I suggest you refrain from saying anything further," Sesshōmaru threatened from behind Axel, who quickly jumped from startle.

After seeing the demon lord, the ex con quickly made his exit, "So-sorry."

Carol chuckled in amusement before looking at Sesshōmaru, "Thank you for that."

Sesshōmaru gave her no acknowledgement before leaving the cellblock. Still Carol was glad that the demon lord was looking out for her still, even if he was disappointed in her.

Sophia only blinked at the exchanged between Carol and Axel, "Mama, what's a lesbian?"

Carl and Souta poked their heads out of the cell, obviously wanting to know too. Shippo and Beth had to bite back their laughter.

Carol sighed but still kept her smile.

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It took a while but Kagome was finally able to sense Maggie and Glenn. 'They're alive,' she thought in relief as she lead the group to the building where they were being kept.

"On your feet," they heard a man say from inside the building where their friends were being kept. "Let's go, come on," he ordered more harshly.

"Shit," Rick cursed under his breath, while the rescue team readied their weapons before finding away inside. After sneaking in through a back door, they watched as Glenn and Maggie were dragged into a room with bags over their heads and forced on their knees.

They planned to kill the couple execution style.

Suddenly, Rick threw a smoke grenade into the room, startling and confusing the Woodbury men in the room.

Both Maggie and Glenn gave a sigh of relief, knowing that their group was here to save them.

Quickly grabbing their friends, the rescue team ran out as fast as they could just as the Woodbury men began firing their guns.

The team began running through the streets while still trying to remain hidden. That's when Kagome found a building where she sensed no living souls inside. "In here," she gestured as she helped guide Maggie inside. The men followed behind her while helping a very beaten up Glenn inside.

However, Michonne managed to close the door behind the group while remaining outside.

Kilala looked at her mistress with confusion.

"You and I have our own mission," she reminded her companion before heading straight to the Governor's apartment.

Inside the building, the rescue team quickly scanned the room while Kagome checked over Glenn's injuries.

"There ain't no way out back here," Daryl informed them.

Maggie was knelled down next to Glenn, helping Kagome tend to him, "Rick how did you find us?"

Instead of answering, Rick looked at Kagome, "How bad is he?"

"Doesn't look like anything's broken," the priestess said in relief, "But he took one hell of a beating."

"I'll be all right," Glenn managed to groan out in pain.

Maggie took a quick look around the room, "Wait? Where's that woman?"

Rick realized that she was gone too, "She was right behind us."

"Maybe she was spotted," Oscar suggested.

"Should we go look for her?" Daryl asked the group leader.

Rick shook his head, "No."

Kagome began to protest, "Michonne helped us get here."

"We got to get them out of here," Rick remind the priestess, pointing to Maggie and Glenn, "She's on her own."

Before the priestess could argue, Glenn informed everyone of something very important to the hunter, "Daryl...This was Merle."

Daryl and Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Merle's here," Kagome voiced their thoughts.

Glenn nodded, "It was. He did this,"

"You saw him?" Rick asked, also not believing this.

"Face to face," Glenn answered, "He...Threw a Walker at me. He was gonna execute us."

That's when Daryl finally spoke, "S-So my brother's this Governor?"

Maggie shook her head, "No, it's somebody else. Your brother is his lieutenant of something."

Kagome had to shake her head, 'That doesn't make any sense. Why would Merle align himself with someone like the Governor?'

"Does he know I'm still with you?" Daryl quickly asked them.

Maggie nodded while Glenn answered, "He does now...Rick, I'm sorry. We told them about the prison. We couldn't hold out."

Rick nodded in understanding, "Don't. No need to apologize," he told them before looking outside to see what was going on. It looked like everyone in town was informed of their presence and were arming themselves to hunt them down.

"They're gonna be looking for us," Maggie said in a panic.

"And they'll be facing two very powerful demons if they try anything," Kagome reminded the woman. She wanted to dare the people of Woodbury to go up against Sesshōmaru alone.

Rick nodded, "We still have to get back," he said before looking to Glenn, "Can you walk? We got a car a few miles out."

Glenn nodded, "I'm good."

"All right," Rick said, helping Glenn stand up.

"Rick," Kagome halted their actions, "What about Merle?"

The hunter nodded, "If Merle's around, I need to see him."

"Not now," Rick stated, "We're in hostile territory."

Daryl shook his head, "He's my brother. I ain't"

"Look at what he did!" Rick interrupted the hunter, "We gotta get out of here now!"

"Maybe I can talk to him," Daryl kept trying, practically pleading, "Maybe I can work somethin' out."

"No, no, no," Rick continued, "You're not thinking straight. Glenn and Maggie are hurt. How are we gonna make it out if we get overrun by Walkers and this Governor catches up to us? I need you here...Are you with me?"

Kagome wanted to help Daryl find Merle, but knew that Glenn and Maggie needed their help right now. "You and I will come back and get Merle once Glenn and Maggie are safe," she told Daryl, knowing that this was the best that they could do. The hunter was hesitant, his loyalty being obviously torn. The priestess put her arm on Daryl's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, "I promise."

Daryl faltered for a moment but eventually nodded, "Okay."

Before the team stepped out Oscar looked over at Kagome, "That barrier of yours wouldn't happen to be bullet proof would it?"

She glanced back at him, "I have no idea. Do you really want to test it now?"

"Fair enough," Oscar accepted the answer.

Once that was settled, everyone grabbed their big guns, gave the hand guns to Maggie and Glenn, and prepared to run. Rick took out one of the smoke grenades and looked at everyone. "Ready?" Everyone nodded, ready to make a run for it. "One, two, three," Rick counted down before he threw the grenade into the street.

That's when the chaos broke loose.

Guns were firing left and right as the rescue team as they struggled to get over to the one of the town walls. Rick and everyone aimed for the guards on patrol of the wall first so they could easily climb over with no problem. There was even a line of busses against the man made wall for the group to climb and hop over to the other side.

Kagome hated having to shoot at innocent people who were only trying to protect themselves and their homes but she didn't have a choice. 'Oh Kamis forgive me,' the priestess prayed as she began to shoot at the people of Woodbury with her gun. She managed to shoot a few people who were trying to kill them and thanked Daryl for being an excellent teacher when he taught her to shoot.

Before making it to the wall, Rick ordered his rescue team to take cover and managed to make it against two walls of the buildings. The plan was to use another of the smoke grenades to make it to the fence.

"You guys go ahead," Daryl told them as he reloaded his gun, "I'm gonna lay down some cover fire."

"No," Kagome protested, "That's too dangerous."

Maggie nodded in agreement, "We got to stay together."

"Too hairy," Daryl told them, before looking only at Kagome. "I'll be right behind you."

The priestess inwardly cursed the hunter's stubbornness, "You better be," she warned him.

Daryl nodded, "Ready?" he asked the others who nodded yes before throwing the rest of their grenades.

The rescue team sprinted to the fence. Rick, Maggie and Daryl were shooting up front while Oscar climbed on the bus first to help Kagome lift an injured Glenn onto the bus.

"We got to move," Oscar told the both of them, as he pushed the two of them to go first.

That's when a bullet hit Oscar in his chest.

"Oscar!" Kagome cried out. She didn't need her priestess powers to know that Oscar was dead before he even hit the ground. "No!" she screamed out.

Glenn tried to keep a clear head, "Kagome we've got to go!" He looked down at Oscar and saw Maggie trying to check on Oscar and was calling for Rick, "Maggie!"

The priestess snapped out of her despair enough to notice that Daryl was still covering them. 'We have to keep going,' she told herself as she and Glenn hoped on to the other side of the fence. Kagome waited and eventually Maggie hoped the fence followed by Rick.

There was no sign of Daryl.

"Where is he?" Kagome demanded to know from Rick, who had seen him last.

"He'll be fine," Rick told her, "We'll get him. But we got to take cover."

Kagome shook her head, "No!" she tried climb back through the wall. If Daryl was in trouble, then he needed help.

Rick grabbed the priestess and shoved her to Maggie, who had to drag the priestess away as Rick helped Glenn run into the woods for cover. The entire time, Kagome was trying to break away from Maggie's hold to get back to Woodbury.

"Daryl!" Kagome cried out for him.

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Back at the prison, Beth, Shippo and the children were loading up their remaining guns and sharpening their weapons and knives.

"Finally got Judith to sleep," Hershel informed them as he used his crutches to come to them.

"How are we with formula?" Carl asked, wanting to know that his little sister was taken care of.

Hershel smiled at the young Grimes, "We have enough to last us another month."

Carl nodded, "I'll take Carol and Shippo for some more at the end of the week."

The fox demon smiled, "Nah. If it comes down to it, I can handle it by myself. No need to risk people unnecessarily."

Beth smiled fondly at the fox demon which didn't go unnoticed by a certain veterinarian. "Your Dad and the others will be back by then," Beth assured Carl.

"Duh," said Souta.

Carl sighed, "We don't know that."

"Yes we do," Sophia replied, "And if you don't know that, then you obviously don't know this family very well."

Carl shook his head, "Right now, Judith is all the blood I got."

"Family isn't just about blood, ya know," Shippo pointed out, "How else do you explain me and my mother. And all of us would do anything to take care of you and Little Ass-Kicker."

Carl smiled at the fox demon in appreciation, "Thanks."

Suddenly, the sound of screaming was heard in the halls of the prison.

"What was that?" Beth asked nervously.

Shippo closed his eyes to listen more closely. "There's people inside."

"Where are Mama and Sesshōmaru?" Sophia asked.

"Outside on watch with Axel," Hershel informed them.

Carl nodded and looked over at his best friend, "Let's go."

Souta nodded as he got his knives and a hand gun ready.

"I'll go with you," Shippo told the young Grimes.

"No," Carl ordered, "Stay and protect everyone here."

The fox demon nodded as the boys left the cellblock.

Carl and Souta walked down the halls of the prison both holding hand guns while Carl also held a flashlight. Both of them kept their eyes peeled around corners and the floor for any Walkers. Rick, Daryl and Kagome always taught them to be especially cautious of Walkers that crawled on the ground. They may have been slow that can easily grab hold of your ankles.

One Walker almost snuck up on them, but Souta managed to get behind the Walker, kick the back of his legs and stab its brain.

The boys continued to follow the screams until they came across three men and two woman being attacked by Walkers in a room. One of the women had been bitten and was screaming in terror as one of the men held her.

Carl and Souta came into the room and began shooting the Walker's in their heads one by one.

The group looked at their saviors in astonishment.

"Come on!" Carl ordered the group as more Walker's began to come due to the gun fire.

Souta pointed his gun and shot at a female Walker that almost grabbed one of the men who was African American. "Hurry up!"

The group didn't need to be told again as they followed the two young boys down the maze walls of the prison.

One of the men, who was carrying his injured wife bridal style ended up falling under her wait.

"Hurry!" Carl urged.

"Just go," the man cried out.

The African American man that Souta had saved went back, "Let me take her," he offered as he threw the injured woman over his shoulder.

"You have to leave her," Carl stated to the group of strangers.

"No way," the man yelled as they continued to shoot or hit the group of Walkers following them.

"Then move it," Souta suggested as he threw a knife at one of the Walkers heads and quickly retrieved it.

The group nodded as they helped take down the Walkers before following the boys back down the halls.

When they finally made it to the cafeteria of their cellblock, the injured woman was already dead. The husband began to cry as their teenage son got teary eyed.

"I'll take care of it," Carl said as he cocked his gun.

"Whoa," the African American man named Tyreese stopped him, "Whoa kid, wait a minute."

"He's right," Souta said as he pulled out his knife, "We should save the bullet."

"Hey," the woman named Sasha protested.

"She doesn't' have that long," Carl informed them.

Sasha looked at the two young boys bafflingly. They couldn't have been older then thirteen and were more than willing to stab someone the head. "Who the hell are you? How did you both get in here? And who are you with?"

Carl sighed at the woman's questions, "Look, we can help you. But first thing's first."

Tyreese shook his head, "No...We take care of our own," he stated before he told the husband to take his son and to look away. Covering the dead woman's face, Tyreese took his hammer and stabbed her in the head.

As they did this, Sophia sneaked into the room and placed spare blankets by the wall next to the door. Once she was finished, Carl and Souta snuck back into the cellblock and locked the prison door.

Sasha heard the door closed and ran over to get it open. "Let us out of here!" she demanded.

"The room is secure," Carl promised them, "You'll be safe. You have food and water in there."

"Open this door," Sasha ordered more sternly.

Souta shook his head, "We can't do that. We don't know you people that well yet."

"Come on, man," Sasha scolded, "We're not animals. Don't do this." She looked over at Beth, Shippo and Hershel who stood back to let the children make their decisions. Honestly, they were a little proud of the children for helping these people but were smart enough to remain cautious.

Sophia came up to the door, "There's some blankets for you there. And one you can use to wrap your friend's body with."

"You can't just leave us in here!" Sasha yelled at them.

Tyreese walked over to his little sister, "Sasha, back away from the door and let them go." She looked at her brother as if he were crazy, until he gestured around the room. "Look around you. This is the best we've had in weeks. This is their house, their rules...We got other things to do."

The children nodded, satisfied that the group understood before going back to the adults.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Beth asked.

"We did," Carl told her.

Shippo nodded, "Until everyone comes back, this is all we can offer them."

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The rescue team made it to the train tracks only a quarter mile away from Woodbury's front gate.

Kagome was constantly glaring at Rick for forcing her to leave the wall like that. If it wasn't for Glenn who needed help with his injuries she would have punched Rick in the face. That and the fact that now the guards on the walls were using their search lights to look for them.

"Come on, Daryl," Rick urged the hunter to hurry.

The sound of grass and twigs snapping got the groups attention.

Michonne had returned to the group, with cuts and scrapes on her face and hands. She had Kilala in her arms, who looked like she had been shot in one of her tails. The sword wielder had waited for the Governor in his apartment just like she had planned. As she waited for him, she discovered the fish tanks full of Walker heads and the little girl Walker the Governor had kept hidden. The Governor was furious when Michonne killed the little Walker and tried to kill her. Kilala tried to protect her mistress only to get shot by the Governor. But the cat demon's distraction worked long enough to stab him in the eye. If it wasn't for Andrea walking in on her, Michonne would have killed the Governor, instead she grabbed the injured Kilala and fled.

"Where the hell were you?" Rick glared at her before pointing his gun at her, "Put your hands up."

Both Maggie and Glenn followed Rick's example.

"No!" Kagome snapped at them in anger but did her best to stay quiet, remembering where they were. "Rick you wanted her to help us and she did! Don't blame her for something none of us had control over! Now we are going to stop pointing fingers and get Daryl back!"

The group was surprised by Kagome's anger. She was usual the most level headed. The group looked at one another before pulling their guns back, allowing the priestess to look Michonne over. "Your hand needs to be stitched. And so does Kilala's tail," she said before looking at the demon. "Will you be okay until you get some help?" the priestess asked the demon cat.

"Meow," Kilala replied while nodding yes.

Kagome nodded, "Good. I need you to take Glenn and Michonne to the car, while we go save Daryl."

"Huh?" Glenn said confused, not knowing that Kilala was a demon.

"Kilala can do it," Kagome told the Korean before walking over to Rick, "They aren't fit to go back in to save Daryl," she told him quietly.

The leader looked at the priestess considering her words. "Alright...But you can't go back either."

"What?!" she questioned in anger.

"I need you to finish helping Glenn...And Michonne and Kilala," Rick reasoned, being very little trusting of the sword wielder and cat demon.

Kagome opened her mouth to speak in protest but knew that every second counted. "Fine," she agreed in defeat, "But you better bring Daryl AND Merle back."

It took a moment for Rick to reply, "Alright."

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Over an hour went by, and as promised, Kagome waited with Michonne and Glenn by the car.

It was amusing to see Glenn's face when Kilala transformed in front of him, but he stopped freaking out when he realized he didn't have to walk the rest of the way to the car.

Once they got there, Kagome mended and bandaged both humans and demon's injuries as best she could. She knew Hershel would be able to stitch them up later at the prison. Now with nothing to distract her, Kagome was starting to feel uneasy. 'The sun's already out. What if they were seen?' She shook her head, 'No. Don't start thinking like that. Not now.'

"They'll be okay," Glenn tried to assure the priestess.

"I know. I know," Kagome said, not losing faith, "I'm still worried though."

Michonne watched Kagome carefully, still not sure what to make of the priestess. Kilala had stayed in her large form and rubbed her side against the priestess in comfort. Kagome, out of old habit, scratched the demon behind her ear. Michonne knew that a priestess was a demon's natural enemy, and yet Kagome was friends with three of them and made no attempt to kill them. There was only one priestess written in legend who ever acted this way. 'How is it possible?'

"Glenn! Kagome," Rick called over to them as they exited from the woods, breaking Michonne out of her thoughts.

"Rick," Glenn replied, limping over to meet with them. Kagome, Michonne, and Kilala followed behind them.

The very moment, Kagome saw Daryl she ran over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank Kami you're alright," she said with her voice cracking ever so slightly.

"I'm fine, Baby Girl," the hunter whispered in her ear and lightly kissed her neck.

Their tender was ruined by another individual in the group.

"Well, well, well," Merle said to the couple as they pulled apart, "Didn't know you liked Chinese, Darylina."

Kagome pulled back from the hunter and took a good look at Merle. He hadn't changed that much since the last time she'd seen him which felt like a lifetime ago. Except for the fact that he was missing one of his hands. It was a miracle itself that Merle was even still standing after going through what happened on that roof in Atlanta.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Glenn yelled as he pointed his gun at Merle. Michonne pulled out her sword ready to plunge it at the man who shot her while Kilala roared in anger.

"Hey, hey hey," Rick urged Glenn.

"Hey, put it down," Daryl warned his Korean friend.

As the men spoke to Glenn and Michonne to calm them down. Kagome stepped in front of Kilala, "No, no, no. Kilala. Don't hurt him. He's Daryl's brother." The demon gave a look of protest. "Please," the priestess urged again. Kilala gave a small growl in defeat as she sat down on her behind.

Merle actually stepped back when he saw Kilala in her full form, but still kept an amused open smile, "Ain't you a big pussy cat." This earned him a harsh growl from the cat demon, making the oldest Dixon chuckle.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "You must really want your face to get mauled off, don't you," she told Merle with caution.

"Rick if it wasn't for him," Glenn tried argue with his group leader.

"He helped us get out of there," Rick interrupted.

"Yah, after he beat the living shit out of me," Glenn pointed out.

Merle smirked, "Hey, we both took our licks, man," he said to Glenn.

Daryl glared at his brother, "Jackass."

"Hey, shut up," Merle snapped at his brother.

"Enough!" Rick told everyone.

Both Glenn and Michonne refused to back down, making Daryl angrier then he already was.

"Get that thing out of my face!" the hunter yelled at Glenn who pointed the gun at Daryl only because he stepped in front of Merle.

Merle laughed in amusement, "Man, looks like you've gone native brother."

"Zip it, Merle," Kagome warned the oldest Dixon.

Daryl was more aggressive, "Yah, no more than you hanging out with that psycho back there."

"Oh, yah, he's a charmer. I got to tell you that," Merle said before looking over to Michonne, "Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea. Big time, baby," he commented while doing some gross tongue movement as he moaned.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Wh-what?" Glenn asked in disbelief.

"Andrea?" Kagome repeated, "Our Andrea?" The priestess couldn't believe it. After all this time, they assumed that Andrea was gone for good. Kagome prayed every day that Andrea made it out of the farm and that someone was looking out for her.

"Mmm-hmm," Merle replied.

"Andrea was in Woodbury?" Glenn asked them.

Daryl nodded, "Right next to the Governor."

Kagome's eyes widened, surprised that she didn't sense their blonde friend's soul in all the chaos. Then again, she wasn't exactly looking for it either, otherwise she would have sensed Merle in the town too. 'But Andrea with the Governor? Why?'

Michonne raised her sword at Merle who was making more disgusting gestures.

"I told you to drop that!" Rick ordered the sword wilder. When Michonne finally put the sword down, Rick questioned her further. "Do you know Andrea?"

Merle answered for her, "Yep, she does. Her and Blondie spent all winter cuddling up in the forest. Mm-mm-mm, yea. My Nubian queen here had two pet Walkers. No arms. Cut off the jaws. Kept them in chains. Kind of ironic now that I think about it."

"Shut up, bro," Daryl snapped at his brother.

Kagome thought over about what she had heard. The group knew that if you can hide your scent like a Walker you're basically invisible. Hearing what Michonne did with the two Walker's was actually pretty brilliant. 'No arms to grab you and no mouth to bite you...That's an incredible strategy. No wonder Michonne's survived this long, even with Kilala's help.'

"Hey man," Merle continued, "We snagged them out of the woods. Andrea was close to dying."

"Is that why she's with him?" Maggie asked the oldest Dixon.

"Yah," Merle answered, "Snug as two little bugs."

Kagome couldn't help but sigh at Andrea's behavior. It was almost exactly what happened with Shane on Hershel's farm, 'Typical.'

"So what ya gonna do now, Sheriff," Merle asked Rick, "Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs and cowards."

Rick sent him a death glare, "Shut up!"

"Oh man," Merle shook his head, "Look at this," he gestured to everyone. "Pathetic. All these guns and no bullets in them."

"Merle, shut up!" Daryl yelled at his brother, again.

"Shut up yourself!" Merle yelled back, "Bunch of pussies you roll!"

The oldest Dixon was cut off by Rick hitting him in the back of the head, and falling to the ground.

Daryl looked down at his unconscious brother and shook his head, "Asshole."

Kagome smacked her head to her forehead. 'This isn't going to end well.'

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Back at the prison, the group was starting to eat breakfast. Axel had made the group a big pot of instant noodles, including for their current guests.

Meanwhile, Hershel helped stitch up one of the men's legs that got pretty messed up in the woods. "You can take those stitches out yourself in a week or so," he instructed him.

The man nodded in gratitude, "Thank you."

"Pretty nice having medical training," Tyreese commented.

Hershel gave a small heckle, "It'll only get you so far."

Sophia shook her head in disagreement, "A lot of us wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

The old veterinarian smiled at the little girl in thanks.

Tyreese couldn't help but look at Hershel's leg, "You-you were bit?"

Hershel nodded as he rubbed his injured leg subconsciously.

A small whimper caught the stranger's attention just as Beth came out of the cellblock with Judith in her arms.

Shippo smiled brightly at the two, "Awww, look who's awake," he said while getting up and taking Judith from Beth so she could make a bottle.

Judith looked at the fox demon with wide and curious eyes, while the strangers looked at Judith in amazement.

"How old is the baby?" Sasha asked the group.

"Barley a week," Hershel answered proudly.

Sasha walked over to sit next to Shippo and get a better look at Judith. "To be honest we never thought we'd see another baby...She's beautiful."

"Yeah, she is," Shippo agreed while cooing at the baby. "She's gonna be a real heart breaker. But any boy would have to get pass me. Yes they do," he said the last part to Judith using baby talk.

The girls in the room smiled at the action.

"How long have you two been married?" Sasha asked Shippo gesturing to him and Beth, making both of them blush ten shades of red.

"They're not," Hershel quickly corrected the young woman.

"Oh," Sasha said apologetically, "Sorry, I just assumed with the baby and all."

Beth finally understood Sasha's confusion and fought off her awkwardness, "Sh-She's not mine."

This left Sasha more confused, "Where's the mother?"

Everyone bowed their heads in respect for Lori's passing.

Sasha's eyes widened in realization, "I'm-I'm sorry," she quickly apologized.

Carl retreted back into his cellblock, before Souta and Sophia followed him to try and cheer up him up.

Tyreese shook his head, "Man, you people have been through the mill."

"Haven't we all," Hershel said as Beth finished making the bottle and headed back to the cellblock. Shippo followed her with Judith in his arms, while Hershel used his crutches to stand in front of Tyreese.

"It's only getting worse out there," said Tyreese, "Dead are everywhere. And it's only making the living...less like the living."

Sasha thanked Axel for the bowl of noodles that he placed in front of her and looked at Hershel, "You're the only decent folks we've come across."

As Hershel continued to talk with the strangers, Shippo watched as Beth fed Judith while leaning against the wall.

He still felt a little embarrassed that those group of people thought that Beth was his wife and Judith was their baby. 'That's just crazy,' he thought 'Beth wouldn't be with someone like me.'

Beth looked up from Judith and smiled over at Shippo.

The fox demon didn't hesitated to smile back.

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Kagome sat with the oldest Dixon as he laid unconscious against the tree. Daryl went to talk with everyone about letting Merle stay with them, but not before telling her about what happened at Woodbury.

Daryl had been captured and was forced to face Merle in a fight to the death. The Governor was encouraging the people of the town to demand blood for what had happened, and they all cheered for the Dixon brothers' deaths.

The priestess had never heard about anything so horrible in her life, which was saying a lot. 'I've been with our family for so long, I forgot how much people have changed,' Kagome thought to herself.

Suddenly, Merle groaned as he woke up on the forest ground, feeling a big headache as he sat up.

"Easy," Kagome cautioned him, "You might have a concussion."

"No shit, China Doll," Merle hissed as he winced in pain. He looked around and noticed that the group wasn't there. Kagome gestured over to the street, where Daryl was trying to talk Rick into letting Merle come to the prison. Merle assumed as much, figuring his brother was vouching for him, "It ain't gonna work."

"It doesn't hurt to try. Now look at me please," Kagome said as she quickly checked his eyes for any dilation. Her eyes couldn't help but drift to the metal contraption that Merle now had for his missing hand. Tearing her eyes away, she went back to her task. "It doesn't look like a concussion...But brain damage would explain why you did what you did," she scolded the oldest Dixon.

"Didn't have a choice China Doll," Merle said simply. Even after all this time, somehow it was easier for the oldest Dixon to talk to the young Asian woman. That nonjudgmental stare still held strong in Kagome's eyes. "Glenn didn't trust me, and wouldn't bring me to my brother," told her.

"Really?" Kagome said sarcastically, "He wouldn't? Since you'd never hold a grudge against people who left you handcuff to a roof top? And Glenn wouldn't offer to bring Daryl to you since you don't have anger issues what so ever and might hurt people in the process?"

Merle glared at her in response, "Smartass."

"And you're a dumbass," Kagome countered, amusing the oldest Dixon. "Why did you bring them to the Governor, Merle?" she asked him. Daryl, Rick and Maggie told her how the Governor had forced the Dixon men to fight each other to the death. He said that Merle had to prove his loyalty to the town.

The man sighed, "Look...The man saved me when he had no reason to...I owed him."

The priestess raised a brow, "You owe the man who wanted you to kill your own brother," she pointed out. "Merle, I may not have known you for very long, but I know you're not the type of man to let people tell you what to do."

"Ya damn right," Merle agreed with her on that.

"And yet you let this Governor order you around," Kagome pointed out, "Was it out of gratitude...Or were you afraid of what he'd do to you?"

For the first time since she met him, Merle stayed quiet.

The priestess shook her head knowing that was a bad sign, 'If Merle is scared of the Governor, than this guy is worse than I thought,' she realized in horror.

But only one thing could be handled at a time.

Right now it came down to see if Rick would agree to let Merle stay at the prison.

Rick and the others just have to agree.

Merle's the only blood family Daryl has left. Casting him away would break the hunter's heart.

If Merle didn't come back with them...

The priestess eyes suddenly widened at the thought...If Merle didn't come back with them...would Daryl leave?

'No, Daryl wouldn't do that,' Kagome told herself, 'He couldn't. Not after everything we've been through together.'

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"It ain't gonna work," Rick told Daryl while standing on the road.

"It's gotta," the hunter replied back.

Rick shook his head, "It'll stir things up."

Daryl sighed, "Look, the Governor is probably on the way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks. And we could use the muscle."

"I'm not having him at the prison," Maggie stated, refusing to be in the same place as the man who kidnapped her and beat up her boyfriend.

Glenn nodded in agreement, "Do you really want him sleeping in the same cellblock as Kagome, Sophia, Carol, or Beth?"

Daryl glared at the Korean, "He ain't a rapist."

"Well his buddy sure is," Glenn retorted making Maggie give him a surprised look. She told him that the Governor didn't rape her, and didn't know why he thought otherwise.

"They ain't buddies no more," Daryl stated, "Not after last night."

Rick continued to shake his head no, "There's no way Merle's gonna live there without putting everyone at each other's throats."

The hunter glared at his leader, "So you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring the last samurai home with us?" he asked. Daryl knew that Kagome trusted the woman, but he was too mad to think straight.

"She's not coming back," Rick growled.

Maggie shook her head, "She's not in a state to be on her own. Kagome helped her up as best she could, but my dad needs to stitch her up."

"She's too unpredictable," Rick pointed out.

Daryl did agree with that, "That's right. We don't know who she is. But Merle, Merle's blood."

"Merle is your blood," Glenn corrected the hunter, "My blood, my family, is standing right here or looking over Merle, and waiting for us back at the prison."

Rick nodded in agreement, "And you're a part of that family. But he's not," he told Daryl sternly, "He's not."

Daryl looked at the people around him, the family he had come to know and care for. He looked back over at Merle and Kagome. Both of them were looking at the group huddle, wondering what was going to happen now.

This was the hardest decision that Daryl had ever made in his life.

And he knew he'd hate himself for it.

Kagome had always told him that family was people who loved you.

As much as Daryl wanted that to be true, his brother's life long lesson was embedded into his mind.

Blood was blood.

No matter what.

"Fine," Daryl said in acceptance before surprising everyone with what he said next. "We'll fend for ourselves."

Rick shook his head, "That's not what I was saying." He didn't trust Merle, but the leader trusted the hunter with his life.

"No him, no me," Daryl bargained simply.

"Daryl, you don't have to do that," Maggie tried to argue.

"It was always Merle and I before this," Daryl said, while shrugging his shoulders.

Glenn looked at the hunter in disbelief, "Don't you think things are a little different now," he said while gesturing to Kagome.

It took a moment for Daryl to speak again, "She'll understand."

"Are you serious?" Glenn whined, "You're just gonna leave like that?"

"You'd do the same thing," Daryl replied simply before heading over to the car to get his bag. "Say good bye to your pop for me," he told Maggie in passing.

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The moment that Daryl was heading to the car and the others following him in protest, was when Kagome's blood ran cold.

The priestess knew Daryl better than anyone in their group.

She knew what the hunter's decision was without him even having to speak.

'He picked Merle,' Kagome stated as a fact.

She could practically feel the smirk coming from Merle's face without having to turn around. The only reason she didn't was because she was too busy watching Daryl as he was talking to the others, most likely saying goodbye.

Daryl refused to make eye contact with the priestess until he had all of his things and made his way towards her and his brother. He didn't stop until he stood in front of Kagome, and stared at her, hoping that she'd understand why he was doing this. 'I'm sorry Baby Girl,' he said to himself, unable to say the words out loud.

Kagome looked back at the hunter, her eyes filled with sadness and pleading. She opened her mouth to speak but was suddenly interrupted by Merle.

"Let's move it, Darylina," he told his younger brother.

Daryl broke the eye contact with Kagome and went to his older brother.

He didn't tell her good bye.

He didn't tell her why he had to leave.

He didn't even say he was sorry.

All Daryl did...was walk away.

His actions broke whatever spell Kagome was under that kept her frozen in place.

A part of her wanted to run away from Daryl's rejection.

Another part wanted to scream at Daryl to come back.

She didn't do either of those things.

Kagome simply turned and walked away.

Back to the cars and back to her family.

The hunter paused to watch the priestess leave. His heart was screaming at him to go after her, but his head ordered him to stay at Merle's side.

Daryl had never hated himself more than at that very moment as he walked away with his brother.

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The others watched as Kagome slowly walked back to them.

Her face was eerily neutral.

But her eyes clearly showed that her heart was broken.

"Let's go," Kagome said coldly as she stepped into the car and shut the door.

Maggie was the one to follow her, "Kagome?"

The priestess shook her head, "I'm fine."

"We could still," Maggie tried to say.

"I said I'm fine!" Kagome snapped at her.

With that, the group all gathered up in the car and drove back to the prison.

While driving in the car, Kilala looked at her old companion with worry. She jumped from her mistress's lap and onto Kagome's shoulder, rubbing the side of her face in comfort. The priestess instinctively pet the demon cat back.

 ***Insert me running from some very angry readers* I'M SORRY! I didn't want this to happen anymore then you did, but it has to be done. Daryl needs to realize where he truly belongs and how deeply he really feels towards Kagome, and he can't do it at the prison. On another note, what's going on with Sesshōmaru acting that way towards Carol? And between Shippo and Beth? The plot thickens all around. Tell me what you think. Next time: The group struggles and the Governor retaliates.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	20. Abandoned and Weak

**Arrows and Scars**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **The Queen of Water: Wait no longer.**

 **Suzululu4moe: You know what, I still have no idea of what happened to Jaken and Au Un. Maybe it'll be brought up in a later chapter.**

 **Tolazytologin (Guest): You'll have to keep reading to find out.**

 **DogDemoness108: To be fair this did happen in the TV show and I was still screaming 'No Daryl! Nooo!'**

 **Snickering Fox: As I mentioned in the previous chapter, that was a no win situation for Daryl. Either way he would have been betraying someone he cared for very deeply. Merle was just a natural choice for him in that particular moment.**

 **kakashixangela: Ah character development. We'll be getting some of that in this chapter too. As for the Carol and Sesshōmaru shipping...It's still on the fence.**

 **MOONWOLF1234: I feel the same way. 'Come back Daryl XD!'**

 **darkangel0212: Thank you. I'll try my best not to let you down.**

 **Babylovebug21: That is absolutely true. Carl even admits it when they left the farm that Kagome was like a sister to him.**

 **NicoleR85: Can do.**

 **Sagira (Guest): Merle was a jerk, but he'll always be our favorite jerk. Just like Negan is currently the bad guy I love to hate on the show. (He's so evil but my God the guy is fun in a messed up way)**

 **GreenHoneyTea: It's hard when you're happy for one set of people while being sad for another. Such is life I guess. But don't worry, the relationships in this story will be more cleared up in this and the next few chapters.**

 **LovelyLadyMarMar: I know, mine broke while I wrote it. But it had to be done.**

 **Saricaykes: Ah yes, Beth's future...will be revealed in a much later chapter. How Sesshōmaru feel's about Carol...will be slowly shown as the chapters go on.**

 **Kaggie21: Hey there, I'm glad to hear from you. Thank you so much for your kind words. It's always nice to hear your praise and compliments.**

 **Spastic Freak: Thanks, that's what I was going for. Good but sad.**

 **Guest: Don't we all.**

 **Applejax XD: We all do.**

 **Elfy Lolita: I'm trying to. Just got to wait for this part to be over. Curse you character development XD!**

 **Fire N Gold (Guest): I'm still on the fence with one of those couples myself. But I'm glad you like the main couple.**

 **Guest 2: That's a very popular opinion. Sorry that you feel that way. But as I said before, I'm still on the fence. It all depends on how the wind blows now.**

 **Thank you all for your thoughts and praises. Also thanks to lsmatyca, Mae Ride, Imaginaryfriends4ever,** **Panthea.x, Satu82, blondmage, hikarumarch, Agragland, Alliebelikov21, Pandasmycat, freak817, swimmingintears, setsuna1415, The Jabberwocky High Priestess, autumnannette19, maddie24clover, KitWallace, superfaraway, Narutoyaoi2000, Hkokuryuha, 10868letsgo, LenaMiaH,** **LuluRavenCrow, and The Girl who is FandomStruck for your encouragement.**

Disclaimer: *Insert me pulling a mission impossible on the ownerships of both series* At last! *Insert the FBI tackling me to the ground two seconds later* So close. Well, I still don't own anything. *Looks at the agent* So there's no need to sue right...Right? *FBI points weapons at my forehead making me gulp loudly.*

Chapter Twenty: Abandoned and Weak

The car ride was silent on the way back to the prison.

Kagome sat next to Michonne, while Maggie sat next to the sword wilders other side. Rick drove the car while Glenn took the front passenger seat.

The priestess looked out the window as they drove, lost in her own thoughts. Kilala was still on her shoulder, a small and familiar comfort for her.

On the outside Kagome was quiet, but on the inside her emotions were screaming in agony.

The dread of Daryl's absence was continuously sinking in with every mile that separated him from her.

In Kagome's mind, she knew that Daryl had his reasons for leaving with Merle.

But that didn't mean she liked it.

The car slowly stopped, making the priestess come out of her thoughts.

There was a truck blocking the road.

Everyone got out of the car, minus Michonne and Kilala who jumped off the priestess shoulder to stay with her mistress.

"Get the brakes," Rick ordered Glenn as they walked towards the abandoned truck.

When the Korean opened the door, a Walker sat inside and growled at the first sign of the living it'd seen in a while.

Rick and Maggie pulled out their guns.

"I got it," Glenn told them as he pulled the slow Walker out of the truck and shoved him on the ground. Before Glenn could crush the Walker's head with his foot, and arrow went straight through the dead creatures head, killing it.

The group turned and saw Kagome had her bow still out from shooting the Walker.

Glenn glared at her, "I said I had it."

"Don't be stupid," Kagome said harshly in reply.

The Korean glared at her before looking back at the Walker and began to stomp his foot, crushing the Walker's head. Glenn let out all of his frustration with every stomp of his foot.

The three stared at Glenn after he'd calmed down, before he stared at their leader, "You didn't kill him."

Kagome shook her head when her friend brought up the Governor, 'Not this again.'

"That's not why we went back," Rick replied.

"No, that's right," Glenn agreed, "You went back for Daryl."

The priestess gaze went down to her feet at the sound of the hunter's name. Maggie was by her side and put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"And now he's gone again. And the Governor is still alive," Glenn continued with his rant.

"Daryl was the priority," Rick countered.

Glenn shook his head, "I should have been there with you."

"You were in no condition," Rick argued with the young Korean.

"But my girlfriend was?!" Glenn snapped back.

Maggie finally spoke up, "Glenn, this isn't about us."

That didn't make Glenn feel better, "I should have been there."

"But you weren't," Kagome said, finally looking back up. "You can't change that. None of us can...What's done is done."

Rick nodded in agreement, "You couldn't come with us because you could barely walk."

"And what about her?" Glenn pointed over to Maggie.

"What about me?" she tried to stop her boyfriend from yelling.

"Do you know what he did to her?!" Glenn continued to yell.

Kagome glanced over to Maggie, who glared at Glenn as if he was one comment away from being smacked in the face. "Leave it alone!" Maggie screamed at her boyfriend, "Let's go."

"She's right. We don't have time for this," Kagome said while she stood next to Maggie so they could push the car out of the way.

Glenn still wasn't done, "After all that effort...All the risk we took...Daryl just takes off with Merle?"

Kagome slammed her fist on the truck, "Will you shut up and help us move the damn truck!"

The men looked at the priestess in surprise, while Maggie nodded her head in agreement.

Somehow, seeing Kagome snap was enough to make Glenn finally stop and they all helped move the car.

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Carol was on watch at the prison gate with Sophia and Carl. Hearing a noise the woman turned and saw the strangers walking out of the prison with a body in their arms to the graves in the field.

"We told them that they could bury her," Carl assured her.

"Surprised that you did that," Carol admitted to the young Grimes.

Sophia looked at her mother, "We're still human...Well, most of us."

Carol and Carl couldn't help but be amused by the statement.

"Where is Sesshōmaru anyway?" Carl asked, wondering where the demon lord had gone. He was actually surprised that the group of people managed to get passed him.

Carol sighed, "I don't know."

"He went out to clear the area," Sophia answered them both, "And to clear his head about something."

The woman looked at her daughter, "He told you that?"

Sophia nodded, "He didn't want me to worry. He said that he'll be back soon."

Carol couldn't help but give a small smile that the demon was being considerate towards her daughter. 'Just wish I knew what was going on with him.'

After some time passed, and the strangers went back inside, the look of Carl's hanging head made Carol speak up, "Your mother would have been proud of you."

The boy shook his head, "For what? Being mean to her?"

Sophia looked at her friend with worry, "She knew that you loved her."

Suddenly the sound of a car drove up the road made them all straighten up.

"Please be them," Carl begged.

Sure enough, the familiar vehicle drove up and the three guards opened the gate. It was very easy to notice that a few people were missing.

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Kagome got out of the car and went straight for the cellblocks. She didn't even register that there were strangers sitting in the eating area.

"Sis," Souta called out as he ran out of the cell rooms and hugged his sister. She hugged him back just as fiercely.

Shippo came out of the cellblocks too, ready to embrace his mother when he smelt sadness coming from her form. Kitsune were good at picking up emotional states. "Mom?" he asked, knowing that she was upset.

Souta pulled back, and noticed the distraught look on his sister's face, "Kagome what happened?"

The priestess took a deep breath before speaking, "Daryl left."

"What?!" Shippo said appalled.

"Why?" Souta asked just as confused.

"Merle, his brother, was in Woodbury," Kagome clarified, "Rick wouldn't let Merle come with us...So they both left," she said before leaving them both and headed back to her room.

The room she shared with Daryl.

The very moment that Kagome slammed the door, tears fell down her face. She placed her back against the door and slid down to the ground, before burying her face into her hands.

'He's gone...He left us...He left me,' Kagome whimpered in her head, replaying his retreating form over and over in her mind.

Outside the door, Shippo and Souta could hear the priestess as she wept. Both of them looked at one another and sighed helplessly at what to do.

This wasn't the first time Kagome was heartbroken.

But it wasn't Inuyasha who broke her this time.

This was Daryl Dixon's doing.

And they had no idea on how to fix it.

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An hour later Shippo sat on the perch, trying his damnedest not to run to Kagome's side. About twenty minutes after locking herself in the room, the priestess grabbed her belongings and picked a cellblock for herself. She hadn't come out since. Shippo knew his mother wanted some time to herself, 'She'll find me when she's ready,' he told himself, 'Whenever that is.'

Beth walked back into the cellblock with Judith in her arms. She was always the first one to take care of the baby the moment the Lil' Ass Kicker made a noise.

"You've got a knack for that," Carol complimented as she walked over with a bin of sorts and started putting some folded up clothes inside of it.

"Yah," Shippo voiced his agreement.

Beth smiled sheepishly at the compliment, "I'm just trying to do my part."

Carol smiled at the two, "I remember when Sophia was a baby, and she'd cry and wake the neighbors. Three a.m. like clockwork...Ed stayed at a friend's most nights till she calmed down."

Shippo snorted, "Sounds like he was a piece of work...Rin would've been ashamed to be related to the bastard."

"Probably," Carol said in agreement.

Beth looked down at the innocent baby in her arms, "You know, I always wanted a child," she admitted, making herself blush a little. Her smile faltered a moment later, "Judith wouldn't have made it if Daryl hadn't been there...He couldn't stand to lose anyone else."

The fox demon scowled at the sound of the hunter's name. "Stupid," Shippo uttered under his breath, 'Just up and left us...Left her.'

"I don't see why he had to leave," Beth spoke up, "Merle sounds like a jerk."

Carol shrugged, "Men like Merle get into your head...Make you feel like you deserve the abuse."

"Even for Daryl?" Beth questioned in disbelief, figuring that Daryl was too strong for something like that.

"Sometimes humans can be cruel," Shippo said grabbing both woman's attention. "Especially when love is involved. It makes things more complicated...At least that's what Mom always said."

Carol nodded, "She's right...I'm hardly the woman I was a year ago, but if Ed walked through that door right now breathing and told me to go with him, I'd like to think I'd tell him to go to hell."

Beth nodded at her, "You would."

"If Ed walked through that door living and breathing, I'd bite his face off," Shippo voiced in a growl as he stood up, "Any man who hits a woman is a coward who's too scared to fight a man."

Carol smiled up at the demon, "It doesn't matter anymore," she said before grabbing a small pillow case.

Beth looked down at Judith again, feeling a little worried. "We're weak without him," she said referring to Daryl.

Shippo shook his head, "Wounded...Not weak," he corrected her, "But I promise, I'll make sure that you and Judith are safe...That everyone is, alright?" he quickly added in the end, feeling his face go a little red from his slip up.

Beth looked at the fox demon in slight wonder.

Carol smiled at the two before finishing up the bin, "There we go."

Beth blinked away from her staring and placed Judith in the bin, as if it were a cradle.

"Perfect fit," Carol cooed at the baby, "You cozy in there."

Shippo looked at the bin and noticed that Lil' Ass Kicker was written on its side.

Even if Daryl wasn't here, his influence with the group remained.

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Later that night, Kagome finally came out of her cell, but she didn't interact much with anyone. She checked on her brother and her son, but it was very clear that she wasn't ready to talk yet, so instead she went to organize the medicinal herb supplies they had to keep herself busy.

A little while later, Rick finally confronted Tyrese's group and told them they couldn't stay. His hallucinations had come back, which made things worse for both groups. The group had to beg for Tyrese's group to leave, just so Rick didn't do something he'd regret.

The priestess witnessed the whole thing and did the only thing she could to help these people.

Before Tyrese's group made it out the gate, the priestess quickly stopped them. "Wait," Kagome halted the group before handing the two bags she was carrying over to them.

"What's this?" Sasha asked the woman, opening the bags to see its contents.

"Rations that you'll need," Kagome answers, "Water, food, flash light, two knives, and some first aid supplies. All that our group can currently spare."

The other man and his son snorted at the offer.

Tyrese accepted the other bag, "Thank you."

Kagome nodded, "I'm-I'm really sorry about this...Our family has been through a lot recently. And it wouldn't be right if we dragged you down with us with what we're going to face."

Sasha raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

The priestess sighed, "I can't say. I don't want our problem to become yours too...Just be careful about who you put your trust into," she warned before pointing in the south direction. "About two miles that way is a two story house. Our group cleared the Walkers in that area, so you should be safe there for the night."

Tyrese was a little skeptical, "How do you know it's clear?"

"Because I'm the one that cleared it," Sesshōmaru voiced from behind them, making Tyrese's group jump in surprise. "You should go now."

Tyrese nodded before taking his sister and their friends out to the prison yard.

The demon lord and priestess made sure that the group left without any surprises.

Sesshōmaru glanced over at Kagome, smelling her old tears. "The hunter," he clarified the source of her woes. The demon had respect for Daryl. He had honor and was loyal to a fault. Perhaps that was why he could not be angry toward the human for abandoning their pack for his family. However, the priestess was an ally he did not want to see harmed in any way.

Kagome nodded her head, trying not to let the tears fall again.

The demon lord merely blinked, "Enough, Miko. You're better than that...Stronger."

The priestess looked at the demon in surprise.

Did he just give her a compliment?

"Are you...trying to make me feel better?" she asked him.

"Why would I do that?" Sesshōmaru usual emotionless voice.

Even if the words were harsh, Kagome still managed a small smile of appreciation, **"Thank you. Lord Sesshōmaru."**

The demon lord gave a single nod in acknowledgment before he began to walk back inside.

"It wasn't your fault," Kagome said to the demon lord's retreating form.

Sesshōmaru paused, but didn't turn his head.

"What happened to Carol," the priestess clarified. Kagome may have been sad, but she wasn't blind about what was going on around her. "No one could have predicted the Walkers coming and swarming us...I know that's been on your mind." The demon lord remained silent. Not confirming or denying that the priestess accusation. "I hate to think what would have happened if we really did lose her," Kagome continued, "Carol's an amazing woman and a great friend. She's grown into a stronger person and warrior...Mostly because of you, as I'm sure you've noticed," she added at the end with a knowing smile.

Sesshōmaru finally glanced back toward her, "Why are you speaking such nonsense, Miko?"

Kagome shook her head at his obliviousness, "No reason at all, Lord Fluffy. I just think that Carol's a good woman."

The demon lord watched her as she passed by him. The priestess wasn't completely wrong at what she had said. And yet, Kagome was also subtly implying that the demon lord may have started to have feelings for Carol.

"Ridiculous," he spat out before heading back inside.

He had vowed to protect Sophia and, by her wishes, her mother too.

Nothing more.

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 _It was morning when Daryl was woken up by a soft stroke of fingers gently caressing his bare skin._

 _Kagome was awake and tracing the tattoos on his back and arm._

 _She retreated her hand when he turned his head back to look at her._

" _Sorry, did I wake you up?" Kagome asked feeling guilty._

" _S'fine," he said while turning around to face her. Both of them were in their room in the prison, naked due to their late night activities._

 _It was a comfortable setting._

" _I like these the best," Kagome voiced as she went back to tracing the tattoo on his arms._

 _Daryl shrugged, "Wasn't sober when I got most of'em."_

" _Still," Kagome said smiling, "Makes me wish I could have gotten one too."_

 _The hunter gave an amused snicker, "Right."_

" _What?" Kagome asked sending him a playful glare, "Don't think I can handle getting a tattoo?"_

" _Oh I know ya can, Baby Girl," he said as reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "What would you have gotten if ya did?"_

 _Kagome turned on her back and thought it over, "I'm not sure. But I would want to have a special meaning...Something about me."_

" _Maybe a caged bird," Daryl suggested, making the priestess turn over to smack his shoulder. She had told him about her name being part of a song that children played in her country back at the farm. Kagome also told him that her name meant star, which he thought suited her much better._

" _That's not funny," she told him, "I didn't pick my name you know."_

" _Couldn't resist," the hunter replied._

 _Kagome rolled on her stomach as she continued to think, "I wouldn't mind a star though...Maybe with angel wings on its sides."_

 _Daryl smirked, thrilled that the priestess would have branded her skin with something that represented him. "Where would you have put it?" he asked her._

 _Kagome turned over to lay back on her back, "How about you pick."_

 _The hunter got up and hovered over her nude form and kissed the top of her right shoulder. "Hmm not there." He went lower down to her chest and gently pressed his lips over the top of her left breast. "Not here...This may take a while," he teased as he began kissing all over her body._

 _Kagome smiled and giggled at his antics before letting him continue where they took off from last night._

Daryl snapped out of the memory when Merle called out his name.

The hunter didn't even realize he had dozed off.

It had been an entire day since he left the group.

Merle had taken charge of where they were going, like usual.

All Daryl had to do was follow.

But every now and then the hunter would suggest a direction that would lead them back to the prison.

Daryl didn't know that leaving those people would be so hard. To say that he missed everyone was an understatement. The little things about everyone that he cared for were now absent from his life.

Beth's singing voice.

Carol's encouraging smile.

Glenn's courageous spirt.

Hershel's wisdom.

Maggie's caring nature.

Sesshōmaru's strength.

Rick's friendship.

Carl, Souta and Sophia's innocent way of looking at the world.

But most of all...Daryl missed Kagome.

That memory was one of many that had continued to play in his mind since the day he left.

Small tiny moments where Daryl felt, dare he thought, at peace in this hellish world.

'And I left her,' he told himself in regret.

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That morning at the prison everyone except Rick, was waiting for Sesshōmaru to return. He was the only one fast and strong enough to go around the entire prison with no problem.

Glenn looked at the demon lord as he walked into the eating area, "Well?"

Sesshōmaru shook his head, "The back wall has collapsed. It has to be rebuild to prevent any Walker's from entering."

The Korean swore under his breath, "Why didn't you see it before?"

"Don't yell at him," Sophia scolded Glenn, "He's the only reason there are no Walker's at our gate."

"She's got a point," Souta voiced in agreement.

Glenn shook his head, "If Walker's just strolled inside that's not going to matter. It's gonna be cake for a group of armed men."

Shippo rolled his eyes, "You do realize that you have two." Kilala hissed at the fox demon. "Err three demons on your side, right," Shippo quickly corrected.

"But you guys aren't bullet proof," Glenn pointed out.

Shippo gave a notorious fox demon smile, "They'd have to catch us first."

"Why are we even so sure he's going to attack?" Beth asked, but everyone could still hear the worry in her voice. "Maybe you scared him off."

"He doesn't seem to the type to just forgive and forget," Kagome replied to them. She had tried her best to be strong for everyone, even with her heart now broken.

"He had a fish tank full of heads," Michonne informed them, "Walkers and humans...Trophies."

Shippo couldn't help but shudder, "I'm a demon and even I think that's the most twisted thing I've ever heard."

Carol raised a brow at the dox demon's statement, "Didn't you both say Naraku kept his minions hearts out of their bodies."

"Naraku did that as a caution. To make sure his incarnations didn't kill him," Kagome corrected her, "This Governor kept heads in tanks...I guess just because he could."

The group found it odd that actually made sense no matter how messed up both actions were in the end.

Hearing the information, Glenn made his decision about the Governor, "We should hit him now."

"What?" Beth questioned in shock. The Korean was usually more level headed then that.

"He won't be expecting it," Glenn tried to rationalize, "We'll sneak back in and put a bullet in his head."

Kagome rolled her eyes, 'He didn't expect us the first time and look what happened.'

"We're not assassins," Carol voiced out.

"But he is," Glenn pointed to Sesshōmaru, whose face remained neutral. Glenn stood up and walked over to Michonne, "You know where his apartment is. The three of us could end this tonight."

"I will not leave Sophia without my protection for that long," Sesshōmaru informed the Korean.

"Then I'll do it myself," Glenn snapped in reply.

The priestess shook her head, "Glenn, do you hear yourself right now?"

"You were almost killed last time," Hershel spoke up, "Daryl was captured. And you and Maggie were almost executed."

"You can't stop me," Glenn stood up close to Hershel.

Kagome blocked his path, "But I can," she said glaring at her friend, "And I will." Glenn's anger was understandable but he was getting dangerously close to doing something that would only harm the group.

Souta stood in front of Sophia, ready to protect her if it was necessary. If his sister had to make a stand against one of their own, he knew it was bad.

Maggie was shocked by Glenn's determination to kill the Governor. She knew it wasn't about the group's safety. Glenn was furious at what he believes happened to her.

Hershel put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, while still balancing on his crutches, to let her know that he was fine. "Rick would never allow this," Hershel told the young man he saw as his son.

"You really think he's in any position to make that choice?" Glenn snapped, glaring at the old veterinarian from over Kagome's shoulder.

"Think through this clearly," Hershel spoke calmly, "T-Dog lost his life here. Lori too. The men that were here. It isn't worth any more killing...What are we waiting for? If he's really on his way, we should be out of here by now."

Glenn rolled his eyes, "And go where?"

"We lived on the road all winter," Hershel reminded him.

"We did it before, we can do it again," Kagome agreed with the old veterinarian.

"That was back when Hershel had two legs and we didn't' have a baby crying for Walkers every four hours," Glenn argued with the both of them.

"We'll look out for each other," Sophia spoke up, "We always have before."

"We can't stay here," Hershel stated.

"We can't run," Glenn retorted.

Maggie shook her head at her boyfriend before heading back inside the cellblock

Kagome glared at Glenn one final time before following Maggie in the cellblock.

The Korean sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, knowing that he was making things worse with his girlfriend.

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Maggie was in the far end of the cellblock, refusing to go to the cell she shared with Glenn. She sat on the bunk, feeling exhausted and very frustrated.

"Hey," the priestess called inside the cell as she stood next to the opening, "Mind if I come in?" When Maggie shook her head no, Kagome walked in and sat on the floor across from her. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked her friend.

It took a few minutes for Maggie to say how she was feeling, "I keep thinking about what happened at Woodbury...It's so stupid...The Governor didn't do anything. Not really, but I," she let out a huff of frustration, "God, I don't know why it's affecting me this much."

"The threat of being raped is scary enough," Kagome told her sympathetically, "Trust me, I know."

The brunette looked the priestess in the eye, "You do?"

Kagome nodded, "I was never raped, but there were several times when I could have been...The worst time was when a human called Mukotsu, a poison maker for a group called The Band of Seven, poisoned me and my friends. It paralyzed us...I couldn't move. I couldn't speak...It was terrifying...Mukotsu didn't do anything to Miroku or even Sango, but he liked touching me and saying how pretty I was...He dragged my body around like a doll... And went through this act where he and I got married to each other...Kami knows what else he would have done if Inuyasha hadn't saved us."

Maggie scooted down to the floor, "How-how did you get over something like that?"

The priestess leaned over and grabbed Maggie's hands, "Talking to people who care...That's what worked for me."

It took a few tries but Maggie began to talk about what had happened to her with the Governor. Kagome didn't interrupt or give any advice.

Only listened.

Maggie did end up feeling a little better, letting someone know what was going on with her. Then she started to feel guilty that it had to be Kagome, especially when she was going through her own grief.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Maggie offered the priestess.

Kagome sighed and leaned her head back against the wall.

She already admitted that talking helps.

The priestess just wish it wasn't so hard to do.

"Daryl made his choice...And in the end it wasn't us...It wasn't me." Kagome gave an unamused laugh and wiped a single tear that fell down her face. "I'm never anyone's first choice," the priestess added in self-pity.

Maggie shook her head, as she sat next to Kagome and wrapped her around her shoulder in a one arm hug. The priestess rested her head on the brunets shoulder as a few more tears fell down her face. "Why are men so stupid when it comes to us women?" Maggie asked rhetorically.

The priestess did let out another unamused laugh that time, "Not a clue."

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A few hours later, Glenn stormed back into the eating area with Carl and Souta in tow.

"The tombs outside the boiler room are overrun again," Glenn said to the others.

Sesshōmaru nodded as he walked into the tombs to take care of the problem.

"How can they be sneaking in?" Beth asked confused, "I thought Sesshōmaru's been scouting the area."

"Not even a demon lord could be everywhere at once," Shippo told her.

Hershel was busy preparing a bag of medicine, "The Governor is supposedly on the way and we're stuck in here with Walkers."

"Not for long," Sophia told him.

Carol shook her head at her daughter, "We're still trapped between a rock and a hard place."

Sophia shook her head as the adults kept talking. She looked over at Carl and Souta, both of them covered with Walker blood. "I've never seen everyone this worked up before," she told them quietly.

Souta nodded, "I know Glenn is doing his best, but he's not what we need...We need your dad."

Carl nodded in agreement. However, a small part of the young Grimes wish that they didn't.

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Meanwhile, in the woods, Daryl was huffing at the stunt his stupid brother had pulled on that family on a bridge above Yellow Jacket Creek. They had just saved the family from a group of Walkers and Merle thought that they owed them by taking their belongings.

Daryl had to point his crossbow at his brother's head to get them out of there.

"The shit you doin', pointin' that thing at me?" Merle snarled at his brother while he was walking in front of him.

"They were scared, man," Daryl told him, keeping his head forward as he kept walking.

"They were rude, is what they were," Merle corrected him, "Rude and they owed us a token of gratitude."

Daryl shook his head as they walked, "They didn't owe us nothin'."

"Oh, you helpin' people out of the goodness of your heart? Even though you might die doin' it?" Merle scolded, "Is that somethin' your Sheriff Rick taught you? Or was it the China Doll?"

Daryl stopped and turned to face his brother, "There was a baby!"

"Oh, otherwise you would've just left them to the Biters then?" Merle asked, referring to what the people of Woodbury calls Walkers.

The hunter shook his head, "Man, I went back for you. You weren't there," he snapped, knowing what the real issue was between them. "I didn't cut off your hand, neither. You did that. Way before they locked you up on that roof. And you asked for it."

Merle started chuckling but was very unamused, "You know what's funny to me? You and Sheriff Rick are like this now, right?" he crossed two of his two fingers together. "I bet you a penny and a fiddle of gold that you never told him or China Doll that we were plannin' on robbin' that camp blind."

Daryl's fist clenched.

Yes, that had been their plan in the beginning.

Spend a month at their camp, get them to trust them, and the very moment their guards were down they'd strike and take what they needed.

"That didn't happen," Daryl finally replied to his brother.

"Yah, it didn't," Merle repeated, "Cause I wasn't' there to help you."

"What, like when we were kids, huh?" the hunter growled in anger, "Who left who then?"

Merle glared at his younger brother, "What?!" he snarled, "Huh? Is that why I lost my hand?!"

"You lost your hand 'cause you're a simpleminded piece of shit!" the young Dixon yelled.

In anger Merle pushed Daryl and grabbed onto Daryl's shirt. Since the fabric was worn and weak, it teared in Merle's grasp as Daryl fell to his knees.

That's when the oldest Dixon saw his little brother's back.

All the old scars that were permanently branded into Daryl's skin.

Merle recognized the damage.

Having a lot of the same scars himself.

Scars that their father left on them.

Daryl quickly put what was left of his shirt on, covering himself.

"I," Merle said in a loss, "I didn't know he was."

"Yah, he did," Daryl interrupted him, "He did the same to you...That's why you left first."

The hunter didn't want anyone to know about them.

There was only a handful of people who had seen the marks on his back.

But the only person he told the truth about how he got them was Kagome.

His worst fear was the look of pity that Daryl's brother was giving him now. Kagome didn't give him that look when the hunter told her about his mean bastard of a father. Instead, she placed her hand on each of his scars, wishing that she could take the pain of his past away.

Something he often wished he could do for her own scars.

That was the moment when Daryl realized that he made a mistake.

The biggest error he had ever made in his entire life.

Why did he always do this?

Why did he let Merle get in his head like?

Nothing was ever going to change between him and his brother, and it wasn't going to unless the hunter did something about it.

That's when Daryl made his next decision.

"I had to, man. I would have killed him otherwise," Merle continued to say to his little brother got off the ground and began to walk away. "Where you goin'?" he called after him.

Daryl turned back to look at his brother, "Back where I belong."

Merle shook his head, "I can't go with you...I tried to kill that black bitch. Damn near killed the Chinese kid."

"He's Korean," Daryl corrected his brother.

"Whatever," Merle replied back, "Doesn't matter, man. I just can't go with ya."

It hurt the hunter with what he had to say next. But it needed to be said. "You know...I may be the one walkin' away. But you're the one that's leavin'...Again."

Daryl took a step toward the prison.

Leaving his brother's influence once and for all.

The hunter knew he was an idiot for leaving the group, his family, behind.

Leaving the woman he cared for more than his own life.

He only hoped that it wasn't too late.

As Daryl walked, he heard his brother curse before following right behind him.

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Later that day, Kagome followed Beth, Shippo and Axel out to the basketball court. Beth went to Carl, who was coming back from opening the gate for Glenn, who had left. Axel spotted Carol, who was watching Hershel talk to Rick, who was outside of the gate, and went to her.

Shippo shook his head at his friend's attempt to woo Carol for what felt like the hundredth time. It was actually pretty ballsy since Sesshōmaru had given Axel an evil glare more than once whenever he got near Carol. "When's he gonna realize that's never gonna happen?" the demon asked his mother.

Kagome nudged his shoulder, "You be nice."

The fox demon shrugged, before he stopped Kagome from going out to the yard to talk to Rick and Hershel. "Mom how are you? Really?" Shippo finally asked her.

The priestess took a deep breath and looked down at her feet before answering, "I'm sad...I'm mad...It hurts."

Shippo gripped both of his mother's hands into his, "You'll always have me."

Kagome smiled and hugged her son, "I know."

The fox demon pushed her back to look at her and shrugged, "And who knows maybe."

Before Shippo could finish his sentence, multiple gunshots were fired all over the prison yard.

Shippo howled out in pain as he felt a sharp sting in his back and collapsed on top of Kagome, causing them both to tumble on the ground.

"Shippo!" the priestess cried out in alarm after her son fell on top of her. Feeling her hand becoming wet Kagome lifted it from Shippo's back and saw why.

Blood.

Shippo's blood.

Her son had been shot.

"SHIPPO!" Kagome cried out as gunshots continued to fire all around them.

The prison was being attacked.

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Hearing the multiple shots of gun fire, Souta and Sophia knew that it wasn't their people firing at Walkers.

They were too smart for that.

No, these shots meant that the prison was being attacked.

Sesshōmaru, who smelt a number of dangerous humans outside, cursed mentally for not smelling them sooner. "Grab the pup," he told Sophia.

The young girl ran as fast as she could to go grab Judith. Souta grabbed his knife and a hand gun for protection. Maggie ran by all of them with guns and weapons in hand, knowing that the others weren't armed.

"Watch after them," Maggie told the demon.

Sesshōmaru didn't need that order as he pushed Souta back towards the cellblocks where Sophia had a crying Judith in her arms.

"What about the others?" she asked the demon in a slight panic.

"They can handle themselves," Souta assured, "But we got to get Judith out of here."

Sophia nodded before they both followed Sesshōmaru into the maze of the prison.

Shots continued to fire outside, and for a brief moment Carol's face flashed in Sesshōmaru's mind.

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As shots fired, Shippo crawled with Kagome to find cover behind one of the prison walls.

"Shippo! Kagome!" Beth cried out as she tried to cover Carl from being shot and went to the priestess and demon's cover spot. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw Shippo bleeding, "Oh God."

"I'm fine," Shippo grunted out as he slowly lifted himself off of Kagome. Both of them covered in his blood. "It's gonna take more than this to kill me."

Kagome nodded in relief that her son was alive, "We got to get him inside."

Carl shook his head, "We can't," he said as he aimed for a snipper that had snuck into one of the towers.

" **Damn it,"** Kagome swore in Japanese. 'Why didn't I bring my bow and arrows with me?' she cursed herself on forgetting the most important rule of never leaving without a weapon.

The priestess looked over at Carol, who was taking cover behind Axel's now dead body in the middle of the basketball court. Michonne had taken refuge in the bus in the yard. Kilala had hissed at the attack but her mistress urged the cat demon to remain hidden.

The demon cat was always her last resort.

There was brief moment of silence, so that guns could be reloaded.

"Beth! Kagome!" Maggie ran out with guns and Kagome's bow and arrows. The group huddled against the wall, each of them taking a gun.

Maggie ran to an open area and hid behind some file cabinets that were strategically placed there yesterday just in case this did happen. Laying down cover fire at the tower, Maggie yelled to Carol to run to the others behind the wall. The woman dashed from Axel's dead body and made it to the group.

Shippo leaned against the wall, trying to step out of hiding. "I can take him," he growled weakly as his eyes went red.

"No," Kagome pushed him back, "If you transform with that wound, Kami knows what you'll do to yourself."

"She's right," Beth told him.

Shippo growled in frustration until he paused in movement. "Something's coming," he told them.

"What?" Carol asked him.

The fox demon tried to concentrate his demonic hearing on the noise, "A truck...No a van. And it's coming in fast."

It didn't take long for the others to hear it as well.

A van came down the road at full speed, as it ran through the front gates of the prison and didn't stop until it was in the dead center of the yard.

"What are they doing?" Beth asked to no one in particular as the van stood still.

No one answered, unclear of that themselves.

Kagome sensed that there was only one soul inside that van and that was the driver. 'Then why bring that kind of vehicle?'

The priestess question was answered when the back of the van was opened and three dozen Walkers came tumbling out of the van.

"Oh my Kami," Kagome said in horror, as the Walkers began walking toward Michonne and Hershel in the yard.

The driver of the van, dressed in full body armor, jumped out of the van and ran out of the prison yard, taking a few shots at Michonne as he did so. Lucky for the sword wielder he missed every shot.

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The Governor watched the entire scene in satisfaction. A Walker came up from behind him, snarling which he turned around and shot in the head without batting an eye.

Feeling proud of what he'd accomplished, the Governor shot as many bullets into the air as he could. He wanted to get every single Walker in the area to come here.

"Let's go," he told his men before they all got in their vehicles and drove away.

He knew these people were done for and saw no need to stick around.

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After few more shots, and Maggie was able to take down the snipper in the guard tower.

The moment Kagome saw this she took her bow and arrows and ran close to the yard. Drawing her arrow onto her bow, the priestess began to shoot the Walker's that were roaming around the yard in the head.

Now that the Governor and his men were out of sight, Kilala was able to transform into her larger demon form. Michonne jumped on her companions back and Kilala flew them into the air. A few Walkers raised their arms trying to catch the living beings above them, but was being kept out of reach. The cat demon flew over the Walker infested yard until she spotted Hershel hiding in the long grass and landed beside him.

Michonne hopped off Kilala, drew her sword and began cutting the heads off of nearby Walkers. "Get on," she told the old veterinarian.

Kilala had to lay down on the ground to help the one legged old man climb on her faster. Once he was safely on the demon cat, Michonne hopped back on Kilala, in front of Hershel. "Let's get out of here," she told her companion.

"Come on!" Kagome called out to the companions in the yard as she shot arrow after arrow at the Walker's in Kilala's path. The demon cat sprinted to the others, once they were safe from the line of fire, the others began firing their guns at the Walkers.

The only problem they had now was helping Rick, who was still outside of the prison. Walker's that had once been so far from them were now swarming around the former police officer. Glenn, who just returned from a run, tried to get to Rick in his truck but couldn't reach him due to the herd of Walker's.

Rick was backed into a corner.

Three Walkers in particular were giving him trouble.

Only in arms reach of the group leader.

Rick had to use both his arms to keep them at bay, making him unable to use his weapons.

Just when the Walker had the chance to bite Rick in the neck, a familiar bolt shot right through the back of the Walker's skull and went through its brain.

Carol saw this and blinked in surprise, "Is that?"

Carl nodded with a smile, "He's back."

Kagome's eyes widened when she saw Daryl emerge from the woods with Merle right behind him.

Together the stranded men managed to get to Glenn's truck and drove back into the basketball court where the others were waiting for them.

Carl and Kagome closed the only remaining gate and locked it.

There were still many Walkers in the yard, and more were coming from the woods, now able to get closer than ever into the prison.

All because of the Governor.

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Everyone immediately went inside.

The men stayed behind a few moments, making sure that none of the Governor's men were in hiding.

Beth and Kagome had to help bring Shippo inside, his blood slowly dripping out of the wound in his back.

The bullet didn't exit his body like they'd originally assumed.

Hershel rode Kilala inside, since it was quicker for him, and slowly began to get off. "We got to get that bullet out of him," he informed the women.

Shippo shook his head and held out a 'wait a second' motion with his hand. The fox demon began making hacking sounds like a cat with the hair ball. A few moments later, Shippo spat something out of his mouth and into his hand. He showed everyone a used bloody bullet, "Got it."

The men came back in just as Shippo showed the bullet.

"Ain't you one tough sum'a bitch," Merle commented. Daryl enlightened his brother on the way back about the demons in their group, which explained the giant cat he saw outside of Woodbury. At first Merle thought his brother was screwing with him, but after what he'd witnessed just now, he believed him.

Beth looked at Shippo with worry, "Will you be okay?"

The fox demon nodded, "Yah, just give me until morning. I'll be fine."

Knowing that her son was safe, Kagome went to the cellblocks, "Souta!" she called for her brother who was nowhere to be found.

Carol followed right behind her, "Sophia! Where are you?!"

"We're here," Sophia said, returning from the prison maze. Judith had finally stopped crying once the gun fire had stopped. Souta came out next with Sesshōmaru right behind him.

Kagome sighed in relief, "Oh thank Kami," she said hugging her brother.

Souta hugged his sister back, ignoring her bloody attire, before looking over at Daryl and Merle, 'What are they doing back here?' he wondered in anger.

"Was anyone else harmed?" Sesshōmaru in monotone.

The others shook their heads at the demon lord's question, still a bit shaken up over what had happened.

Once Rick and Carl went to retrieve Judith from Sophia, she immediately ran to her mother. She saw the blood smeared on her mother's face and gasped.

"It's not mine," Carol told her daughter as she hugged and kissed her daughter on the forehead. In strange way, Axel had saved her life just now. If Axel's body hadn't been there to shield her from the bullets, she would have been dead. The idea of it was barbaric, but Sesshōmaru always taught her that you do whatever it takes to live. "Where were you four hiding?" Carol asked her daughter.

"We went through the halls until we found the prison library," Sophia told her, "It hadn't been touched. And we waited until Sesshōmaru said the Governor's men were gone."

The group looked at one another, relived that they were still alive but were still on edge.

In all the chaos, the hunter didn't get a chance to look at the priestess.

Once he did, both their gazes clashed together.

Daryl could see the shock and anger stirring in Kagome's eyes.

The hunter opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome suddenly turned her head to her son, "Let's take care of that," she told Shippo leading him back to the cellblock.

Daryl closed his mouth.

Kagome didn't say a word but her message was very clear.

Stay away.

'Damn it,' Daryl swore in his mind.

 **Wahoo! Daryl's back at the prison. That's good right? *insert every reader pointing an armed shotgun at me* I can never win, can I? Anyway, what do you all think? Next time: Daryl's conundrum and Andrea's return.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	21. You Have No Idea

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Even though they were mostly of disappointments in Daryl's actions, I'm still happy to get reviews from: NicoleR85, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, AnimeAngel240, Mistress of Darkness Katana, Tolazytologin (Guest), Elfy Lolita, kakashixangela , MOONWOLF1234, LovelyLadyMarMar, darkangel0212, Xireana Prime, , Tsukikageshi, Guest, scarlettravencrove, GreenHoneyTea,** **BlueFiestaMockingjayPie, Guest,** **and** **MusicLover315. Also thank you to: Theinzmann111, keotaka1, copperspider005, Kang-Lin, SailorJupiter001, Oyote, MuppyPuppy, scarlettravencrove, Akuma Fenikkusu, DarkDragonessFliesEveryWhere, Hypedupgirl, Tempest S, Cherry-Blossom-Love, Mel2121, Zerdas999, S. T. Nickolian, Miko-Rei, Thousands of Enemies,** **Gothcat,** **Rukarai207, vampirequeengoddess, Autumn's Fire,** **FallenSilverWolf,** **MusicLover315,** **foxonfire13, crossoverlover5506, DK87, Ariyankey, Piotessa, LostOneLeaf,** **Piotessa,** **ProudMomma17, Teyranas, LillianOrtega, Raeciel, and** **lostfeather1** **for your support.**

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. Never have, never will. No suing.

Chapter Twenty One: You Have No Idea

It was a terrible night at the prison.

No one slept a wink.

Everyone, including the children, were on edge that the Governor would come back in the night to finish what he started the other day.

Sesshōmaru had spent the whole night trying to take out the Walkers in the prison yard and in the woods. But the demon saw no end in sight of them. Rick cursed under his breath when the demon lord reported this the next morning.

Now, the group was gathered in the cellblock.

Kagome, Carol, Beth, Shippo, Souta and Sophia were sitting on the railing on the second floor. Daryl was there too, but Souta and Shippo made sure to keep him away from Kagome.

Meanwhile, the rest of the men were on the first floor with Maggie, Carl and Michonne with Kilala on her shoulder. Merle was in the eating area where he stayed the night, the cell door was locked, so he couldn't join the others.

"We have to go," Hershel told his leader simply.

"We're not leaving," Rick snapped at the old man.

The group continued to go in circles and what they should do since the sun had risen.

Stay and fight.

Or run and hide.

In Kagome's opinion, she voted for the first option. The Governor attacked her family, and she wanted him to pay for the suffering he caused them. 'But his attack proved how vulnerable we've been...We need a plan,' she realized.

"We can't stay here," Hershel pleaded for the hundredth time.

Maggie nodded, agreeing with her father. "If another sniper comes, a plank of wood won't stop them," she said referring to the weak precautions they placed around the prison.

"We can't even go outside," Beth reminded her sister.

Carol nodded, "Not in the day time."

"Sesshōmaru and I can make a path for the cars if necessary," Shippo informed them.

Glenn glared at the humans and demon on the second floor, "If Rick says we're not running, then we're not running."

"No," Merle spoke, gathering everyone's attention. "Better to live like rats."

Rick looked at the older, one handed Dixon, "You got a better idea?"

"Yah, we should have left last night. Live to fight another day," Merle retorted.

The Higurashi siblings couldn't help but roll their eyes at the advice.

"But we lost that window didn't we," Merle continued his rant, "I'm sure he's got scouts on every road of this place by now."

Daryl strutted the perch, getting closer to his brother, "Ain't afraid of that prick."

"Y'all should be," Merle replied to his brother before looking back at the others. "That truck through the fence thing. That was him just ringin' the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place," he didn't even have to finish his thought. "Shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to," Merle told them.

Souta looked at his sister nervously, before she wrapped her arm around him in comfort.

Maggie glared at the oldest Dixon with hatred, "Let's put him in another cellblock," she told the others.

"No," Daryl refused her request, "He's got a point."

That didn't change Maggie's attitude toward Merle. "This's all you! You started this!" she yelled at the oldest Dixon.

"What's the difference on whose fault it is," Beth scolded her sister.

"We can't change the past," Shippo said in agreement, "What's happing now is more important."

Hershel shook his head on his spot on the stairwell, "I said we should leave. Now Axel is dead," he said making Shippo's head bow down in grief of his dead friend, "We can't just sit here."

Rick was torn and was about to walk out the cellblock.

"GET BACK HERE!" Hershel yelled as he stood up on his crutches. The group actually jumped in surprise, never seeing the old man so angry before. Rick turned to look at the old veterinarian, "You're slipping Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time. You once said that this wasn't a democracy, now you have to own up to that."

"Silence," Sesshōmaru told the old man forcefully. All eyes were on the demon now. "I've been in many battles in my life time. To say the odds are stacked against the pack would be putting it lightly...As far as I'm aware, none of the Governor's men have surrounded the prison. In my experience, that means he hasn't organized a plan with his people yet."

Kagome raised a brow, "So, we have time to think things over?"

The demon lord nodded.

Rick absorbed the demon's words and continued to leave, "I'll be on watch...Figuring things out."

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After the debacle this morning, Beth led Shippo into one of the cells to remove the bandages that Kagome had put on him last night.

The fox demon had abandoned his prison suit attire and now wore dark blue shirt, which was taken off for the moment, and faded blue jeans.

The young blonde woman was amazed at what she saw on the fox demons bare back once she removed the bandages.

Nothing.

There wasn't a trace of the wound.

Not even a scar.

"It's gone," she stated in surprise.

Shippo smirked with pride, "Told ya so."

Beth placed her hand on his back in bewilderment tracing the spot where the fox demon had been shot.

"Wow," Beth whispered in amazement.

Shippo had to suppress a shiver of pleasure that he felt when Beth's hand was on his bare back.

It took a moment for Beth to realize what she was doing and pulled back her hand. "I'm-I'm sorry," she said in embarrassment.

The fox demon gulped nervously before replying, "It's okay," he said before quickly putting his shirt back on.

Shippo turned around to face Beth.

Their eyes immediately locking on each other.

The attraction felt between the two could be cut with a knife.

The fox demon could hear her heart racing, just like his was right now.

"Beth," Shippo said her name softly.

"Yes?" she asked just as quietly.

The tension was eventually cut by Judith's 'I'm hungry' cries, startling the both of them.

Beth blushed red when she realized how close Shippo had gotten to her "I've-I've got to."

"Right," the fox demon said taking a stepped aside to let her pass to take care of Judith.

Shippo inhaled as Beth's scent lingered in his nose.

At that moment, the fox demon knew he was in trouble.

Because he was pretty sure that he had feelings for Beth.

'Mom's gonna love this,' Shippo thought sarcastically.

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Meanwhile, Kagome was in one of the cells on the second floor of the cellblock. She had to go out and retrieve the arrows that she used in the prison yard and began cleaning them. The priestess had about fifteen arrows now, and if there was going to be a fight she couldn't afford to lose anymore.

Kagome was cleaning her weapons, she felt a familiar presence enter the cell and let out an exasperated sigh, 'I should have known that he'd come find me.'

"What'cha doin' in here?" Daryl asked confused and with slight irritation in his voice. He just had a conversation with Rick and Glenn, where the Korean once again voiced how he didn't want Merle here, so his emotions were already high.

Kagome kept her back to Daryl as she showed him her arrow, "What's it look like," she said sarcastically, refusing to look at him.

"That's not what I mean. Why's your shit in here?" the hunter rephrased, noting her attitude while gesturing to what little belongings she had were scattered in the cell.

When Daryl went to the office room that they both shared, he thought that would be the chance that they could talk alone.

He was sad to discover almost all traces of Kagome in their room had disappeared.

The only thing that was left behind was the old red over shirt.

The room was so empty and cold.

And Daryl didn't like it.

The priestess stopped what she was doing to answer his question, "It's my room."

The hunter frowned, his worst fear realized, "Come on, Baby Girl," he almost pleaded.

Kagome sighed at the nickname that once made her heart race, now all it did was cause great distress. "Daryl, please leave me alone," the priestess told him as she tried to go back to cleaning her arrows.

Daryl's distraught feelings suddenly changed to anger. He didn't come back to the prison just to be ignored by the person he wanted to come back to, and it pissed him off. "Now look here," he said while grabbing her arm forcing Kagome to finally look at him.

That's when the hunter saw her tears.

'Oh shit,' his grip slipped on her arm, dropping it as he realized that he had made his priestess cry.

He hated tears.

Anger was something he could handle.

It was what he grew up with.

But seeing the woman he cared about more than anything cry, because of him, was too much.

"Kagome, I," he began to say.

"Just go Daryl," she interrupted him, wiping her eyes.

"I just," the hunter tried again.

"I said go!" Kagome snapped sounding very irritated.

The anger in her voice made Daryl more control of his emotions, "Will you let me fuckin' talk?!"

"What's there to talk about," she retorted finally abounding her task to look at the hunter, "You left when we really needed you!"

"I came back!" Daryl retorted, unintentionally snapping at her.

"You shouldn't have left at all!" Kagome argued, "Merle's your brother, but I thought the rest of us meant something to you...I guess I was wrong."

The hunter scowled at her, "I wasn't goin' to leave'em."

"I know that," the priestess told him. "If the situation was reversed, I wouldn't abandon my brother either. But I would have at least tried to find a way to make it work so I could stay with everyone."

"I did try," Daryl snapped starting to get very irritated, "And you weren't exactly helpful."

Kagome stood up and folded her arms, "Excuse me?!" she asked both furious and baffled.

"You didn't tell the others to make Merle stay!" Daryl lashed out, too pissed off to care about what he was thinking or saying at this point. "You weren't exactly beggin' for me to stay neither!"

"Would it have really made a difference?" the priestess asked him. "Huh? What did you want me to say, Daryl? 'Stop?' 'Don't go?' 'Stay with me?' 'If you love me don't go?'" she listed all the phrases that popped into her head the instant she realized that Daryl was leaving their group. "Would that have changed anything?" she asked him, looking him dead in the eye.

Daryl shut his mouth, biting his bottom lip like he always did when he was uncomfortable. He wasn't prepared for her to say any of that.

Tears began escaping Kagome's eyes again, "That's what I thought."

She took a deep breath before speaking again, trying to calm herself down.

Yelling at each other wasn't helping.

There were more important things that needed their attention now, and they needed to be on the same side.

"You know what...In the end, it doesn't matter anymore," Kagome told the hunter in honesty. "I get it...You were in a no win situation...And despite it all, I'm glad you came back, Daryl...I really am."

Daryl let out a sigh of relief and leaned over to hold her, thinking that everything was fine now.

Kagome took a step back to escape his grasp.

"No," she shook her head sternly, shocking him. "I forgive you for what you did, and I'm so relieved that you're back...But I can't forget it." Her tears were now more visible on her face, but she had to stand her ground or else she'd only risk being hurt by the hunter again. "You left us Daryl...You left me, when you promised you never would...I can't be with you right now...I can't."

"Kagome," Daryl said, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

The priestess turned away from the hunter, unable to take much more, "Please Daryl...Just leave me alone," she begged him, "Please."

The hunter stood there dumbfounded, again his heart was telling him to stay and fight, but his head won the battle again and he left Kagome's cell.

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It took over half an hour for Kagome to calm down and leave her cell.

There was someone else she had to see, though others would have been surprised. But she had to be sure that he was alright after being out there for so long.

"Hello Merle," the priestess greeted the redneck when she found him. He was currently residing in the corner of the cafeteria's metal cage. No one trusted him enough to be in the cellblock. "Do you have enough blankets? The nights are chilly here."

Merle looked up and saw a blanket in the priestess hand. He snorted at the gesture, "Don't gotta pretend with me, China Doll. I know ya hate my guts."

Kagome tilted her head, "I don't hate you, Merle...But I can't say that you're my favorite person at the moment," she admitted to him with a teasing smile. Despite what had happened and the current situation they were in, she couldn't blame Merle. 'He's a victim of the Governor too. Someone who took him in when he felt abandoned,' she reasoned.

The oldest Dixon smirked in amusement, "That so."

The priestess nodded before looking at the items on his cot, "What are you doing?" she asked in confusion.

Merle was currently holding a knife and some duct tape.

It took a few moments for Kagome to figure out what they were for, making her eyes widen.

He wanted the knife to be placed on his handless arm.

"Left my other knife at Woodbury," Merle told her.

The priestess gave a small nod in understanding before she sat next to him on the cot, "Need help?"

The oldest Dixon didn't give her any sign that he needed help but he didn't push her away as she helped him tape the knife into place of his metal covered stump. 'He must have fashioned that in Woodbury,' the priestess figured.

A few minutes later, Hershel came into the cage.

"You're the farmer, Hershel," Merle stated to the old man.

Kagome sent the oldest Dixon a glare in warning, "Behave yourself please."

Hershel took no offense, "And you're the black sheep, Merle."

Merle smirked in amusement before noticing Hershel's missing leg. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the wound was recently healed. "How'd ya lose it?" he asked the farmer.

"I was bit," Hershel answered the question.

Merle looked over to Kagome for clarification, "Rick hacked it off thinking it could stop the infection from spreading...He was right," she explained briefly.

"Awfully kindly of him," the redneck said sarcastically.

Kagome rolled her eyes as Hershel took a seat on a nearby stool.

"He saved my life," Hershel retorted, "Gave me more time with my girls. Gave me more time with your brother...Can't put a price on that."

Merle glanced back over to Kagome, "Feel the same way about my little brother, China Doll?"

The priestess finished securing the tape on Merle's metal covered stump. It felt odd being able to be more open with Merle Dixon of all people about her feelings. The small bond of trust she had for him was easier since she already knew his respect for her. "There are things that I've done in my life that I regret," Kagome said before looking up at Merle. "Being with your brother is not one of them...I forgive him for leaving with you, since you're his only blood relation left...But I need some time to see if I can be with him again."

Hershel leaned forward and put his hand on the priestess's shoulder in comfort.

Kagome smiled in appreciation before getting up and leaving the two men to talk.

Merle watched the priestess leave with interest. In reality, he was glad that his little brother got together with Kagome. She was a woman who wasn't afraid to put any asshole in his place but still treats them like human beings when others thought otherwise.

And even after all that he'd done, she was still kind to him.

Kagome continued to amaze him to no end.

'Wish my lil' brother ran into ya before the world went to shit, China Doll,' Merle thought to himself.

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A few hours went by and Daryl kept his distance from everyone after his confrontation with Kagome. Although he felt a few death glares from both humans and demons every so often. And just like the priestess, he picked his own cell to live in, not being able to stand the room that they once shared together.

It was in his new cell that he heard Carl come into the cellblock, yelling for his father.

"Dad! It's Andrea! She's here!" the young Grimes announced.

Everyone dropped what they were doing and quickly armed themselves.

They weren't going to take chances this time.

Kagome and Shippo went out with the others with guns in their hands, ready for whatever.

Andrea walked up to the gate, maneuvering the Walker she had trapped in front of her. It had now jaw and no arms. The same trick she and Michonne used to stay hidden from other Walkers.

The blonde woman begged Rick to open the gate, which he refused to do until she answered the question if she was alone or not.

Andrea looked at the group in disbelief, thinking that her friends would let her in regardless of what happened.

After finally answering the question, Rick grabbed Andrea, shoved her against the fence and frisked her for hidden weapons.

Normally, Kagome would have thought the action was too extreme, but now she saw it as a necessity. She even checked the blonde woman's soul to see how much she had changed. 'She's been with the Governor for a while. Kami know what she's thinking now,' the priestess thought to herself. Kagome found it both a relief and disappointment that Andrea's naïve soul had yet to change.

Finally earning a little trust with the group, everyone went back inside with Andrea in tow and stood around the eating area.

Andrea hugged Carol when she saw her, glad that she was alive after losing sight of her at Hershel's farm. Sesshōmaru growled at the woman making her step away from Carol in fear. The blonde woman saw that Sophia was close at the demon's side. Kilala ran over in her small form and jumped on Andrea's shoulder, earning her ears being scratched. "Hey pretty kitty," she told Kilala before her gaze wandered to the farmer and saw his missing leg. "Hershel? My God," she said in anguish before looking around the prison. "I can't believe this...Where's Shane?" she suddenly asked Rick.

Rick shook his head, not bothering to vocalize the answer.

The blonde woman's eyes widened, "And Lori?"

"She had a girl," Hershel answered for Rick, "Lori didn't survive."

"Neither did T-Dog," Carol added.

Andrea couldn't even begin to describe how sorry she felt for Rick and Carl after hearing that news. Wanting desperately to change the subject she looked around the room again. "You all live here?" she asked as Kilala returned to her mistress's feet.

"In the cellblock," Glenn corrected her, gesturing to where they slept.

"Can I go in?" she asked while walking that direction.

Rick stepped in front of her, "I won't allow that."

Andrea's eyes widened in surprise at Rick's coldness, "I'm not an enemy, Rick."

"We had that field," Rick informed her, "That courtyard and the area was clear, until your boyfriend tore down that fence with his truck full of Walkers."

"He said you fired first," Andrea retorted.

Kagome snorted, 'Of course she didn't hear the part where the Governor had a van full of Walkers.'

"He killed an inmate who survived in here," Hershel informed Andrea.

"We liked him," Daryl continued, "He was one of us."

"I'm the only one left now," Shippo informed her, feeling sad that Oscar and Axel were gone.

Andrea looked at the man, "Who are you?"

"The name's Shippo," the fox demon answered before gesturing to Kagome, "I'm her son."

Andrea looked at Shippo in amazement for a few moments before she shook her head to get back to the subject at hand. "I didn't know anything about this. As soon as I found out I came. I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shoot out."

"You mean the place you stayed at after you saw the Governor make Daryl and Merle fight each other to the death at Walker and gun point?" Kagome asked the blonde woman sarcastically.

"I told you, I came here when I could," Andrea argued, trying to sound rational. She looked over to Michonne, "What have you told them?"

"Nothing," her friend answered in reply. Even Kilala shook her head in disappoint of the blonde's accusations.

Andrea shrugged her shoulders as she looked around at her old group, "I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people, and now I'm the odd man out."

"Good Lord," Shippo rolled her eyes at how naïve Andrea was being. He was beginning to see why the group was so wary. "Has she always been like this?" he asked his young uncle.

"Yep" Souta answered the question, sounding just as annoyed.

"That man almost killed Michonne," Glenn spoke up, "He would have killed us."

Andrea pointed to Merle, "With his finger on the trigger! Isn't he the one who kidnapped you?! Who beat you?!"

"Yes he is," Kagome replied, "And yet we're letting Merle stay here with us. What does that tell you how we feel towards the Governor?"

The blonde woman sighed, "Look, I can't excuse or explain what Philp has done. But I am here trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."

"There's nothing to work out," Rick told her sternly, "We're going to kill him. I don't know how or when. But we will."

Andrea shook her head, trying to remain firm, "We can settle this. There's room in Woodbury for all of you."

"Pass," Shippo immediately replied to her offer.

"I'm not going to live anywhere near that mad man," Sophia shook her head, obvious frighten by the idea of being so close to the Governor. Sesshōmaru put a hand on her shoulder in a small comfort.

"Ditto," Souta spoke up and folded his arms sternly.

Andrea looked at the children in disbelief.

Hershel looked at the blonde woman, "What makes you think that this man is willing to negotiate? Did he say that?"

Andrea was stumped by the question. In all honesty, the Governor told her not to even come here. But Andrea knew in her heart that she could bring Woodbury and her old group together. At least that's what she told herself. "N-no," she eventually admitted.

"Then why did you come?" Rick asked her.

"Because he's gearing up for war," Andrea replied in horror.

"As to be expected," Sesshōmaru spoke for the first time. "Humans like him don't give up so easily when it comes to anyone they preserve as a threat."

Andrea shook her head at the demon, "The people of Woodbury are terrified. They see you as killers."

"The same people who were chanting for Merle and Daryl to kill each other?" Kagome pointed out again. Andrea's accusations were hypocritical and it was getting ridiculous. "And you want us to feel sympathy for them."

"They're training to attack," Andrea argued, trying to get the group to see reason.

Daryl snorted, "Tell you what. The next time you see Philip, tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

"We put up with this shit for too long," Glenn added, "If he wants a war. He's got one."

Andrea pleaded to Rick one last time, "If you don't stop and sit down to work this out, I don't know what's going to happen."

"People will die," Shippo interrupted her, "That part's obvious."

She looked around, pleading to the group, "He has a full town...Look at you. You've lost so much already. You can't stand alone anymore."

"We have our family," Sophia corrected her, "We're never alone."

Rick stepped forward, "If you want to make this right, then get us inside."

Andrea's eyes widened in horror, "No."

"Then there's nothing to discuss," Rick replied, walking away into the cellblocks.

"There are innocent people!" Andrea argued, looking at anyone who would help back her up.

No one said a word.

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"Is this really going to help?" Kagome asked Carol an hour later.

"What can it hurt," the woman replied as she lifted Judith out of the bin.

Andrea walked into the cellblock, after having a long conversation with Michonne.

The blonde woman couldn't have been so conflicted in her life. But as soon as Andrea saw the baby, she smiled.

"You can't leave without meeting Little Ass-Kicker," Carol told her.

The blonde looked at both women, "Can I hold her?" she asked the both of them.

Carol gently handed Judith over to Andrea, who rocked the little baby and cooed at her, "So cute...Let me guess, Daryl named her Ass-Kicker." She figured the hunter was the only one who could give a cute little baby girl a nickname like that.

Kagome couldn't help but smile, "Yes he did."

"If you two ever have one of these, make sure he doesn't name them," the blonde woman said as a joke, gesturing to the baby. She missed the hurt in Kagome's eyes at her suggestion, for more than one reason.

Luckily Carol was there to sidetrack the conversation, "It's her nickname. Her real name's Judith."

Andrea smiled widely, "Hi Judith. How precious are you," she cooed at the baby.

The priestess mouthed a 'thank you' to the older woman who smiled in reply.

Andrea looked up from the baby to address the two women. "What happened to Lori?" she asked them with seriousness.

"Walkers attacked us," Carol answered, "Carl...He was the one that had to," she couldn't finish.

Andrea understood her meaning and looked down in horror, "Oh my God."

"T-Dog died leading me to safety," Carol was able to continue.

"And Shane?" Andrea couldn't help but ask.

"Rick had to kill him after he staged the whole thing with Randal...It was all a trap so he could kill Rick," Kagome answered the question.

Andrea shook her head, not believing that. "Shane loved Rick," she protested in the dead man's defense.

"Shane loved Lori more," Carol stated simply.

It hurt for Andrea to hear that. Sure, she wasn't in love with Shane, but she thought they were connected in some way. And then Rick, having to be the one to kill his best friend made him so different. "Rick...He's become so cold...Insane," she voiced.

"You can't really blame him," Kagome replied, "Rick spends every day trying to keep us alive. He's still a good man, who has the weight of a big family on his shoulders...That includes you."

Andrea looked at the priestess in surprise, "I-I thought you didn't like me."

Kagome shook her head, "You're my sister, Andrea. I don't have to like you all the time. But I'll always love you," she told her as if it were obvious.

The blonde woman became teary eyed and gave the priestess a one armed hug, doing her best not to squish Judith.

The priestess hugged her back just as affectionate. Despite her behavior, Kagome did care about Andrea and what could happen to her. She only hoped that Andrea would see the truth about the Governor before it was too late.

Carol smiled at the two before bringing up an important matter, "The Governor...You have to do something."

"I am," Andrea said as she handed Judith to Kagome, who held the baby with practiced ease.

"No," Carol shook her head, "You need to sleep with him."

Even Kagome raised a brow at Carol's words.

"What?" Andrea asked confused.

"Sleep with him," Carol repeated, "Give him the greatest night of his life. Get him to drop his guard...And when he's sleeping, you can end this."

Andrea looked at the older woman in horror, while Kagome raised a brow at the suggestion. 'She's been around Sesshōmaru for way too long,' the priestess thought to herself.

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It was hard saying goodbye to Andrea.

Kagome hoped that the blonde woman would reconsider staying, now that they were finally all together again.

But Andrea was determined to end this feud between the group and Woodbury.

When the blonde woman drove away, the priestess turned to walk back inside but accidently caught Daryl's intense gaze. They stared at each other for a few moments before Kagome turned away and went back inside. 'You need to be strong,' she reminded herself, 'For both your sakes.'

Shippo rolled his eyes when he saw the exchange between his mother and the man she loved. He didn't have to be a demon to see that Kagome loved Daryl, but she was scared about being abandoned or hurt like she'd had so many times before.

It wasn't just Kagome and Daryl feelings that were suffering either.

There were two others in this group who were struggling in their relationships too.

And it was starting to get on the fox demon's nerves.

"That's it. I've had enough," Shippo said out loud to those who remained outside. "You, you and you," he pointed to Daryl, Glenn, and Souta, "Come with me."

All three of them looked at one another in confusion but followed the fox demon as he went out to the prison yard. During Andrea's stay, Sesshōmaru finally managed to kill all the Walkers in the area, so now it was clear.

"Is something wrong?" Glenn asked the fox demon as they kept walking.

"The same thing that's plagued men since the history of time," Shippo replied, "Women."

Souta raised a brow, "Uhh, aren't I a little young to be in this conversation."

The fox demon halted and bent down to look Souta dead in the eye, "Do you like Sophia?"

Souta' face became red and it took him a few moments to answer, "Ye-Yeah," the young Higurashi admitted embarrassed.

"Then you're old enough for this conversation," Shippo told him before continuing down the prison yard.

Daryl gave a sigh in annoyance, "What are we doin'?"

Shippo gave a famous fox grin, "I'm teaching you a little trick a perverted monk once taught me." The two men and young teenager didn't like the sound of that. "Oh and Daryl," the demon again and turned to the hunter with demonic eyes. "I'm giving you one final chance. If you ever make my mother cry again...I'll rip your heart out. And eat it," he threatened as his eyes show a hint of red.

Both Glenn and Souta gulped at the demon's threat. "Remind me never to piss him off," Glenn whispered to Souta, who nodded in agreement.

Daryl only nodded silently at Shippo's threat. If the hunter did hurt the priestess again, he'd accepted any punishment without complaint.

'Gotta win her back first,' Daryl thought, wondering what the fox demon had in mind.

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It was night at the prison.

Everyone had just finished eating dinner. When they finished, everyone gathered in the cellblock while Sesshōmaru, Souta, and Carl were on watch.

The tensions were high all around.

They all wondered at what moment the Governor would attack.

And if he did, which side would Andrea take in the end.

Beth looked at everyone nervously and began to sing to try and lighten the mood.

" _They hung a sin up in our town._

 _If you live it up, you won't live it down._

 _So she left Monte Rio, son."_

Carol, Maggie, Sophia and Kagome smiled at Beth. Shippo's eyes brightened ever so slightly at the sound of the blonde's voice.

" _Just like a bullet leaves a gun._

 _With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips,_

 _She went and took the California trip._

 _Well, the moon was gold and hair like wind._

 _Said don't look back now,_

 _Just come on, Jim._

 _You got to hold on._

 _Hold on._

 _You got to hold on._

 _Take my hand, I'm standing right here._

 _You got to hold on."_

Daryl couldn't help but glance over at Kagome, who was sitting next to her son, who went to grip her hand and squeezed it tightly. The priestess snickered at his playfully tight grip and smacked the fox demon's shoulder. The hunter could tell that Kagome's smile didn't reach all the way to her eyes.

" _Well, he gave her a dime-store watch._

 _And a ring made from a spoon._

 _Everyone's looking for someone to blame._

 _If you share my bed, you share my name..."_

At that point, Rick walked over to him and Hershel, who was leaning on the wall next to the hunter, with Judith in his arms. Beth continued to sing as the men talked among themselves.

"Some reunion, huh," Daryl said to Rick.

The leader shrugged, "She's in a jam."

"We all are," Hershel pointed out, "Andrea's persuasive. This fella's armed to the teeth. Bent on destruction."

The hunter looked to Rick, "So what do you want to do?"

The leader looked at his baby daughter in his arms before looking to the hunter, "We match it...I'm going on a run."

Daryl nodded, "I'll head out tomorrow."

Rick shook his head, "No, you stay here. Keep an eye on your brother...And try to talk to Kagome while you're at it." The request made the hunter raise his brow. "I don't ever want to see her hurt like that again...But I can tell that woman misses you."

The men looked to the priestess, who was looking at them with a side glance. More specifically, staring at Daryl, with a small longing in her eyes. The moment their eyes met hers she turned back to listen to Beth's singing.

Daryl let out a sigh, "I'll try."

"I'll take Michonne on the run," Rick suddenly informed them.

The hunter raised a brow, "You sure that's a good idea?"

Then men still weren't certain where Michonne's loyalty lied.

"I'll find out," he replied, "And Carl...He's ready."

" _When there's nothing left to keep you here._

 _When you're falling behind in this big blue world._

 _You got to hold on._

 _Hold on._

 _Got to hold on._

 _Take my hand, I'm standing right here._

 _Got to hold on..."_

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Later that night, Maggie went to her cell to get cleaned up and ready to go to sleep. Glenn went to relive Souta and Carl from their shift on watch.

It wasn't until Maggie put away her weapon and took off her she shoes that she spotted the foreign object on her bed.

A small reef of white daisies that was made into the shape of a heart.

In the middle was a tiny piece of paper with the words, ' _I'm sorry I'm an idiot,'_ written on it.

There wasn't a name on the paper, but Maggie knew that the message was from Glenn. She couldn't help but smile at the gesture as sat on the bed and picked up the reef, gently stroking on her fingers on the daisies.

They were her favorite flower.

"He's an idiot...But he's my idiot," she said out loud and affectionately.

She may not have forgiven her boyfriend yet, but he was definitely on the right track.

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"Hello Souta," Carol greeted the young Higurashi as he walked up to the cell she shared with her daughter.

Sophia looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at her crush. She couldn't help but notice how nervous he looked, and that he had both hands behind his back.

"Hey...I'm umm," Souta began to say while blushing red, "I wanted to give something to Sophia real quick," he finally spat out.

Carol tried her best not to embarrass the boy further, "Alright," she said smiling and stepped of the cell and down the hall. Her smile winded when she saw what was hidden behind Souta's back.

Sophia jumped off the top bunk and tilted her head curiously, as Souta just stood there. "What is it?" she asked him.

Souta gulped, swallowing his nerves as he finally pulled one of his hands from behind his back.

Five blue and yellow flowers tied in a ribbon that Souta had found on a run some time ago but was too nervous to give it to Sophia.

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise at the gesture. "For me?" she couldn't help but ask. When Souta nodded yes, she took the flowers from him. No boy had ever given her flowers before. It was enough to make Sophia blush too. "Th-thanks, Souta," she said before smelling the sweet aroma of the flowers.

The young Higurashi let out a breath he didn't even know she was holding. A part of him was scared that she wouldn't like them or said that they were stupid. 'She likes them,' Souta thought triumphantly before doing so unexpected that even he didn't realize that he'd done it.

He kissed Sophia on the cheek.

Sophia gasped the moment his lips touched her warm.

The instant the young Higurashi realized what he'd done, he widened his eyes in horror and scurried out of the cell as fast as he could. 'What the hell did you do that for you dummy?' he screamed at himself.

Sophia remained in place in the cell while she gently touched her cheek where Souta had kissed her and smiled

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"Is Judith down for the night?" Shippo asked Beth as she began cleaning one of the bottle's the baby had finished for her dinner.

"Like a rock," Beth answered as she finished cleaning.

The fox demon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I keep forgetting to mention it. But...You have a beautiful singing voice."

Beth blushed lightly at the compliment, "Thanks. I've loved singing ever since I was little."

"I can tell," Shippo said, kicking himself on how stupid that sounded. But luckily Beth didn't seem to mind. "Beth I...I have something for you. But you have to close your eyes first."

Beth raised a brow, "What for?"

"Do you trust me?" the fox demon asked. She nodded yes as her answer, "Then close your eyes."

Eventually she closed her eyes, wondering what in the world Shippo was up to. She shivered a little bit when she felt something gently brushed against her neck.

"Open your eyes," Shippo whispered in her ear.

When Beth opened her eyes she was suddenly aware of the pleasant smell that filled her nose.

She looked down and saw the reason.

Shippo had given her a long pink and white flower necklace.

"Oh my gosh," she said in amazement, "Where did you get this?"

"I made it," the fox demon said with pride.

Beth blinked in disbelief at the sweet gesture. She never would have thought that Shippo would take the time to make something like this for her. "It's beautiful," Beth said in admiration.

"You're a beautiful woman, Beth," Shippo admitted, "You deserve pretty things like this." She smiled widely at his flattery. "I...I know that there's a lot going on right now. And I know I must have the worst timing in the world to ask this. But Beth would you...Would you want us to spend more time together?"

Beth blinked and began to blush lightly, "You mean like dating?"

Shippo rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Well demons call it courting. But yes...like dating."

She couldn't help but smile at the word courting. It sounded more romantic than the word dating. "I'd love to."

The fox demon gave a very excited grin.

A grin that sent shivers up Beth's spin.

But in a really good way.

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'Stupid,' Daryl thought to himself in frustration.

When Shippo took him, Glenn, and Souta to pick flowers for their women, the hunter thought it was a ridiculous idea.

At least when it came to his situation.

Daryl wasn't a giving a woman flowers kind of man. Sure, he gave Carol the Cherokee Rose when Sophia was lost, but that was to give a grieving mother hope, not a way to say he was sorry for fucking things up.

'Which I did,' he reminded himself. The hunter knew he had to do something to win Kagome back, but he didn't know how to say he was sorry.

Actually, now that Daryl thought about it, he never really did tell Kagome that he was sorry for leaving.

That was what he needed to do.

He needed to apologize and convince her that he'll never leave again.

And binding that promise so she'd truly believe him.

That's when the hunter came up with an idea. Daryl went to his room and stayed there for over half an hour before he went to Kagome's cell, only to find it empty.

"If you're looking for Kagome, she went to explore the library that Sesshōmaru and the kids found," Hershel informed Daryl, from bottom floor.

Merle was having a pleasant chat with Hershel at the time, and snickered at his little brother franticing. "Ya better go now, Darylina. China Doll might come to her senses that she's better off without ya."

"Shut up," Daryl growled to his brother as he passed by them and headed the prison library.

Merle only smirked in reply at Daryl's response, 'Don't fuck it up again, Lil' Brother,' Merle thought to himself.

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Kagome glanced around at the surprising selection of books that the prison library had to offer. There were lots of law books, but mostly there were literary classics along with a few other novels as well. She had three books in her arms now, planning to bring them back to her cell. The priestess had trouble sleeping these past few nights and figured she'd need something to help pass the time.

"Hey," Daryl's voice caused the priestess to turn with a startle.

"Hey," she said when she recovered her grip slightly tightening on the books.

The hunter slowly walked into the library and closed the cell door.

Kagome went back to looking at the books, doing her best not to turn around.

The awkwardness between the two was heavy in the air.

It was quiet for several minutes until Daryl finally broke the silence, "M'sorry,"

The priestess stilled in her browsing.

"Didn't say it before," the hunter acknowledge, "Me leavin'...Breakin' my promise to ya...M'sorry."

Kagome shook her head and tried to keep herself from turning around, "I already said that I forgive you."

"Do ya...Cause I don't forgive myself," he countered.

His declaration made the priestess finally turn around to face him.

Daryl wasn't all that good at expressing himself with words. But he needed to do this now. He needed her to know the truth.

"I didn't just come back for the group...I came back for you." Kagome's breath hitched at the hunter's confession. "It took everythin' not to grab you and take you with me when I left...If Souta and the others weren't here, needin' ya, I would'a."

The priestess put her books on a nearby shelf, and leaned her back up against a shelf with her arms weakly crossed. She could tell that Daryl wasn't done talking yet. Daryl sighed as he walked over and stood next to her, leaning against the shelf like her only his hands were in his pockets and he stared at the ground. "That look you gave me when I left...That look of betrayal...I knew I fucked up...You deserve better than that...Better than me."

Kagome was about to interrupt him when Daryl suddenly stood in front of her, grabbed her left wrist, and began to tie something around it. The priestess examined the item and realized that it was the material from the red over shirt she always wore, tied together with a black leather strap from Daryl's angel winged vest like a braid. The hunter didn't speak until the bracelet was secure around the priestess's wrist. "Wish I could take it back...What I did...But I can't...But I ain't ever gonna make that mistake again...I'm not gonna be the reason you have that look on your face again...Ever," Daryl swore to her but still wasn't brave enough to look her in the eye.

Kagome looked from the bracelet on her writs to Daryl and shook her head as she straighten up. Her mind was going a mile a minute and it was hard for her to speak. Only one word managed to leave her lips in the chaos of her mind.

"Stupid," she muttered.

The hunter did up to look at her then, not sure how to take the insult.

Luckily the priestess didn't look at him in anger.

It was relief mixed with happy tears.

"Daryl you...Whatever low self-esteem you have when it comes to me. Its bullshit." Daryl couldn't help but smirk when he heard her swear. "I'm serious," she told him sternly but held no venom in her voice.

As scared as Kagome was about trusting Daryl again, she knew she couldn't be away from him forever.

It took them being separated for her to truly realize why Daryl leaving affected her so much.

And if the hunter was going to confess to her, then she needed to do the same for him.

"You still don't understand," Kagome continued, "Do you really have no idea what it means to me to have you in my life...You're the first man that actually wanted to be with me, for me." Daryl's smirk fell but continued to listen intently. "To you, I wasn't just a pretty face that reminded you of someone else or some tool to be used for your own gain...When I'm with you I'm just...I'm just."

"Baby Girl," Daryl finished her thought for her.

The priestess finally smiled at him, "Yes." Kagome reached over and cupped Daryl's cheek. "I don't care about what you think what I deserve from someone, Tenshi. What I want...All I need, is you...Because I love you Daryl Dixon."

In less than a second, Daryl's mouth smashed on to Kagome's. Their hands clung to each other's bodies, never wanting to let the other go, as their mouths and tongues battled with passion.

After a few minutes of their heavy make out session, Daryl pulled back to stare at Kagome's bright blue eyes. Both of them trying to catch their breath, "I've missed you, Baby Girl," he told her.

"Never leave," Kagome pleaded with him. She knew if he ever left her again, she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Never," he promised her, "Never again...Not without you."

This time it was Kagome who initiated the kiss.

Her hunter being so close these past few days but not be with him was absolute torture.

For Daryl it was even more so, since he knew it was all his fault. He actually thought he'd have to do a lot more groveling before Kagome took him back.

But this woman continued to amaze him.

And on top of it all, Kagome said that she loved him.

No one, not even his mother or brother, ever said that to Daryl before.

But his incredible warrior priestess just did.

The hunter didn't know what to say. He himself never said that he loved anyone before.

Daryl wasn't even sure he even knew how to say it.

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 **Lemon Starts Here (Oh my)**

Continuing their kiss, Daryl pushed Kagome almost forcefully up against the book shelf, causing a few of the books to fall to the floor.

Neither of them took notice.

Kagome and Daryl shoved each other's tongues in their mouths, battling for dominance. His hands traveled down her body until he reached the back of her thighs and lifted her up, making Kagome wrap her legs around his waist. Daryl enjoyed the feeling the skin of her thighs in hands, since she was wearing cotton shorts, and pressed her body tight against the wall to help keep her up

The battle for dominance turned into a draw when the priestess pulled back to yank Daryl's shirt off, which he swiftly discarded. The hunter gazed at her as she quickly removed her own shirt.

Because Kagome had already taken her bra off for the night, she was now bare chested, allowing Daryl's mouth to latch on to her breast like a starving man begging for his next meal. Kagome's head and back arched in delight as he used his mouth and tongue to tease her nipple. She moaned in pleasure when the hunter switched the breast's twin, giving it the exact same treatment, while her nails were lightly clawing on Daryl's arms and back.

Daryl eventually left Kagome breasts and went to attacking the side of her neck, which he knew was her weak spot.

"Stop teasing me," the priestess managed to moan.

The hunter didn't let up from ravishing the priestess.

Daryl wanted, he needed, Kagome more than the air he breathed.

The priestess's toes curled as his mouth moved from her neck to her ear lobe, his teeth lightly grazing her flesh deliciously. She placed lazy kisses on his forehead, the only piece of his face that she was able to gain access to him.

After a few more minutes of kissing her neck, Daryl lifted Kagome off the wall and slowly lowered them down to the floor.

The priestess breath hitched when the cool tiled floor touched her bare skin. Luckily Daryl was able to distract her by placing sloppy opened mouth kisses on her chest. His mouth and tongue trailed lower to her stomach all the way to the waistband of her shorts. The hunter's gaze lifted to Kagome's face, silently asking for permission to continue.

"Don't make me beg," Kagome pleaded.

Daryl wasted no time sliding her shorts and her panties off her legs. Now that he was by her feet, the hunter spread the priestess legs apart and placed small kisses from the side of her knee to her inner thigh.

Kagome's eyes fluttered close when Daryl's mouth suddenly went to the most intimate area of her body. Her hips jumped up when his tongue played with the small bump of her woman hood.

Then all too suddenly the hunter stopped.

"Eyes on me Baby Girl," Daryl ordered her sternly.

It took some effort for Kagome to get on her elbows to look at him, before he continued feasting on her. This wasn't the first time he asked her to do this. Holding each other's gaze as he made love to her with his mouth. It was a little difficult for Kagome, since she couldn't help but close her eyes back and threw her head back in pleasure when his tongue hit just the right spot.

Daryl immediately stopped when she did so, "Nuh uh," he said before chuckling darkly, "Keep those pretty eyes open Baby Girl." Kagome obeyed, knowing that he wouldn't continue until she did what she was told. The hunter smirked as he went back to finishing what he'd started. He knew that the priestess was close since she began to beg in Japanese. It only took a few more strokes until the priestess was crying out Daryl's name. The hunter licked up all her juices after she climaxed but continued to tease her with his tongue and even his fingers when he was done.

'That's it,' Kagome managed to think after coming off her endless high, as she wrapped her legs around Daryl and forced him on his back so now she was startling him.

"But," Daryl tried to argue that he wanted to do more, only to be silenced by Kagome shoving her tongue into his mouth. It was so easy for the priestess to subdue the hunter. He reacted to every little thing that she did to him.

The couple made out for a few more minutes before Kagome finally pulled back, "I can't take anymore Tenshi...I need you."

Daryl smirked before he rolled them over again so he was on top of her, before he scooted back to unbutton his pants and take them off. The hunter slowly opened her legs a second time, purposely making it so that Kagome's legs were on both his shoulders.

The priestess eyes widened when he entered her and began thrusting vigorously inside of her. Apparently Daryl couldn't wait anymore either, but held himself back just to make sure that his Baby Girl was taken care of. Kagome managed to climax two more times before Daryl finally exploded inside of her, both of them screaming each other's names.

They panted heavily as they came down from their high.

The hunter carefully backed up to put Kagome's legs down before collapsing next to her.

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 **Lemon's Over Now**

The priestess rolled to her side so that she could rest her head on the hunter's shoulder.

Daryl stared at the ceiling of the prison library, listening to Kagome's breathing until it became steady. Evidence that she was finally asleep.

That was when the hunter turned his head and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too," he softly whispered before he closed his eyes to sleep.

 **Before anyone starts yelling in their reviews that Kagome forgave Daryl to quickly, I have to say, I personally think that this matches our characters better. Kagome does forgive but doesn't forget. Which is why she's guarded at first, but is still willing to give love another chance. Also, Norman Reedus also stated in his interviews, that once Daryl loves you he loves you forever, so he when he say he won't 'fuck up' like this again, he genuinely means it. That being said, what do you think? Next time: The group prepares for war in a longer than usual chapter. *insert Homer Simpson 'Wahoo' here***

 **Till Then My Readers**


	22. What Must Be Done

**Arrows and Scars**

 **So much love. You guys are all awesome. I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Thank you to: GreenHoneyTea, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, ,** **darkangel0212, Gome, NicoleR85, MOONWOLF1234, Mistress of Darkness Katana,** **Elfy Lolita,** **BlueFiestaMockingjayPie, ashleemichelle,** **Fran (Guest) and Spastic Freak** **( for** **your amazing reviews. And a huge thanks to:** **outawork, Meliara422,** **QueenofSpades157,** **NymphadoraBlackMalfoy,** **the midnight stalker,** **Blake93, Hanyouprincess3,** **Jacque' la Kitsune, Loki921, crazzy2000,** **Roningirlkisa** , **lisshansky** , **ForbiddenDesire13, poetic bookworm and of course Wicked . Onna for** **y** **our support.**

Disclaimer: I claim nothing! No suing!

Chapter Twenty Two: What Must Be Done

A few days later, Andrea managed to get a message to the prison for them to meet up with the Governor at a neutral location to discuss a peaceful solution for this feud.

Rick reluctantly agreed to the meeting, but not without a lot of back up.

Kagome rode on the back of Daryl's motorcycle as he took point in the car ride to the agreed on meeting spot, an old feed store. Rick thought it would be a good idea to scout the area before the meeting time.

As they came closer to the sight, the priestess used her powers to scan the area for any living souls.

" **Son of a bitch,"** she swore in Japanese.

The hunter leaned his head over his shoulder, "What?"

"He's already here," she told him.

"Shit," Daryl cursed under his breath.

Kagome squeezed the hunter's midsection nervously.

Daryl took his hand placed on hers, "We'll be fine," he promised her.

Once the cars made it to the abandoned facility, Rick got out of the passenger seat of the car, while Hershel remained in the driver's seat. The leader looked to the priestess as she got off the bike.

"Well?" Rick mouthed to her.

Kagome pointed to inside the building.

The leader sighed and signaled for Hershel to remain on guard for any Walkers.

Rick, Daryl and Kagome scanned the rest of the area to make sure there were no Walkers surrounding them. The hunter kept his new crossbow, which Rick and Michonne found on a run, up and armed while the priestess had an arrow ready on her bow.

Much to their relief, it looked like the Governor already took care of the Walkers that were already here. Rick signaled for the both of them to remain on guard as he went inside to talk to the Governor.

'Kami please let us all get out of here alive,' Kagome prayed.

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Daryl and Kagome walked back to the road where Hershel was waiting for him.

"He's sitting with Rick," the hunter informed him.

"I don't see any other cars," Hershel stated as he circled the area.

Kagome nodded, "It's just the Governor here."

Daryl shook his head, "It don't feel right...Keep the car runnin'" he told Hershel.

The priestess pulled her arrow from her quiver and armed her bow, but kept a loss grip.

Suddenly, the sound of a car was approaching the building.

"Heads up," Daryl warned as he aimed his crossbow at the upcoming vehicle.

Kagome sensed three souls in the car, "Andrea's in there," she quickly informed the men.

When the vehicle stopped, Andrea, a Hispanic man and a Caucasian man with glasses came out of the car.

"What the hell?" Daryl snapped at Andrea, "Why's your boy already in there?"

"He's here?" Andrea said in genuine surprise. However the men with her didn't seem all that shocked by the announcement.

Kagome shook her head at the blonde woman as she walked inside the building to talk with the Governor and Rick. 'When is she going to learn?' she wondered.

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Hershel and Daryl remained on guard as they stared down the Governor's men.

Kagome was more at ease and eventually put her arrow back in her quiver. Not only could she sense that these two particular men held no malice, but she could tell just by looking at them that they had no intention of fighting. 'At least not today,' the priestess thought as she studied the Hispanic man, Martinez, leaning against the hood of his van while the man with glasses was writing things down in a notebook.

"Maybe I should go inside," Hershel suggested to his two friends.

The man in the glasses spoke up, "The Governor thought it best if he and Rick spoke privately."

Daryl glared at the man, "Who the hell are you?"

"Milton Mamet," he introduced himself.

The hunter snorted, "Great. He brought his butler."

Martinez couldn't help but snicker at the title.

"I'm his advisor," Milton corrected the hunter.

"What kind of advice?" Daryl asked curiously.

"Planning. Biters," Milton listed before suddenly stopping, "Umm, sorry. I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen."

Daryl took a step towards them, "You better watch your mouth, Sunshine."

Kagome gave an unamused laugh, "Trust me, we're nothing like henchmen."

"Look," Martinez spoke up for the first time, "If we're gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day, do me a favor, shut your mouth."

The hunter took another step forward but Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"If this all goes down, we'd be at each other's throats soon enough," Hershel reminded everyone.

Daryl glared at the man before taking a few steps back to the car.

Milton took a quick glance at the situation before he continued to write in his notebook.

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Meanwhile, back at the prison, everyone was readying all the guns and weapons that Rick, Michonne, and Carl retrieved on the run from an old friend of Ricks.

Glenn ordered Carl, Souta, Sophia and Beth to place packs of spare bullets around the prison while he worked on the cage outside.

"We should be loadin' some of this firepower in a truck and payin' a visit to the Governor," Merle pointed out to everyone. "We know where he is right now."

"Are you suggesting that we just go in and kill him?" Glenn asked the redneck. Although he once felt the same way, he'd calmed down a lot since then. 'Going in hot headed is just going to get you killed,' he rationed to himself.

"Yah, I am," Merle answered.

Michonne shook her head, "We told Rick, Daryl and Kagome that we'd stay put."

"I've changed my mind, sweetheart," Merle told her simply. "Being on the sideline with my brother out there ain't sitting' right with me."

"How do you think I feel?" Souta told the redneck. "My sister's out there too. But I know she'll fight like hell to get back here. Anyway, we shouldn't kill unless we're defending ourselves...It's what separates us from people like the Governor."

Merle looked at the young Higurashi with a raised brow, "Ya know, I think I liked ya better when ya was mute."

Souta gave an amused nod, "Yeah, my sister says that too. Still can't figure out why."

"Maybe because she figured out you're the smart one," Shippo suggested.

"Wait, she figured that out now," Souta asked in mock surprise, making a few of the others snicker.

Merle was still the only one who was still unsettled. He really hoped that the others were watching their backs.

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After a few minutes, Andrea walked out of the building and sat on a bench near the door. Her head hung in defeat. Neither Rick nor the Governor were listening to reason. And neither of them wanted her to hear her say on the matter.

So they kicked her out of the conversation.

'Poor Andrea,' Kagome frowned at her friend.

"You know," Milton spoke up, "There's no reason not to use this time we have together to explore the issues ourselves."

"Boss said to sit tight and shut up," the man reminded his friend.

"Don't you mean the Governor?" Daryl pointed out.

The priestess shook her head, "Don't you two start again."

"It's a good thing that they're sitting down," Milton continued as if he weren't interrupted. "Especially after what happened. They're going to work it out. Nobody wants another battle."

Daryl raised a brow, "I wouldn't exactly call it a battle."

"I would call it a battle," Milton replied, "And I did. I recorded it."

"For what?" Daryl asked.

"Somebody's got to keep a record of what we've gone through," Milton explained to him. "It'll be a part of our history."

"That makes sense," Hershel stated his opinion.

Kagome nodded in agreement, "Wish I'd thought of that."

Milton smiled at the two, "I've got dozens of interviews and I'd."

A loud noise caught everyone's attention, followed by the familiar snarling of Walkers.

Daryl, Kagome, Andrea, and Martinez went to check it out.

Two Walkers were coming from the woods and heading in their direction.

Daryl lowered his crossbow and looked toward the Martinez, "After you," he insisted.

Martinez shook his head in protest, "No way, you first."

Andrea rolled her eyes as she walked past both men to stab a Walker in the head. She needed to work out the frustration she'd been feeling between Rick and the Governor after their brief conversation.

Before Kagome could draw her bow, Martinez hit a Walker with his bat, smashing its skull. Daryl glared at the man before firing his crossbow at another Walker, then looked back at Martinez smugly. Martinez responded by twirling his bat, obviously showing off, as he took down another Walker.

Kagome and Andrea looked at each other in disbelief.

"Are they serious?" Andrea asked her as the men continued their obvious pissing contest.

"Apparently," Kagome said just sounding just as annoyed as they both walked off and went back to the cars.

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When Daryl and Martinez were finished killing the Walkers, the hunter checked the dead corpses' pockets to see if he could find anything useful.

He struck gold when he found half a box of cigarettes.

"Look what he's got," Daryl showed Martinez.

The hunter took one cigarette and put it in his mouth before offering one to Martinez.

"Nah, I prefer menthols," Martinez stated, refusing the cigarette.

Daryl snorted, "Douchebag," he said before putting the pack into his pocket using his lighter and lit up the cigarette. It had been a long time since he'd smoked. The first time he'd found one in a good long while, he expected Kagome to complain about the bad habit. Surprisingly, the priestess didn't comment on him actually smoking, only that his mouth tasted gross afterwards and refused to kiss him until it went away. He smirked at the memory as he exhaled the smoke and turned back to Martinez, "You army or somehtin'?"

Martinez shook his head, "Nah, I just...Hate these things," he gestured to the Walkers on the ground. "After what they did to my wife...kids."

Daryl nodded, "Sucks."

"Thanks...Was that your wife?" Martinez gestured to the direction Kagome had gone. Daryl blinked at the title but didn't correct the man. "Keep her close," he cautioned the hunter.

It wasn't meant as a threat.

It was friendly piece of advice from someone who's lost it all.

"Plan to," Daryl retorted in understanding.

Martinez nodded, "You know this is a joke, right?" he said referring to Rick and the Governor negotiating. "They ain't gonna work anything out...Sure, they'll do their little dance and tomorrow, next day...they'll give the word."

Daryl nodded, "I know."

Martinez sighed before he gestured toward the box of cigarettes. The hunter took one and offered it to the man.

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While Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, and Merle continued arming the weapons in the eating area, Sophia, Souta, and Carl took Judith to play in the prison yard with Kilala, while Sesshōmaru and Carol were on watch. Shippo and Beth were in the cellblock sitting on the perch. Talking about whatever came to mind. Trying to occupy themselves from being worried about their family's safety.

"You're dad's going to be fine," Shippo assured her, "He's a strong man."

Beth nodded, "I can't help it."

Shippo wrapped his arm around her and gently kissed her forehead.

The tender moment was ruined when they both heard yelling in the eating area. Both of them got up and sprinted into the room and saw Merle fighting Glenn on the ground. Maggie and Michonne were trying to pull Merle off of Glenn, but to no avail. Kilala was hissing at the rumble in front of her.

Beth rolled her eyes, grabbed a loaded hand gun and shot it in the air.

That made everyone freeze.

But only for a moment.

"Get off," Merle snarled, elbowing Maggie and Michonne, "Let me go!"

Shippo strutted over, grabbed Merle by the front of his shirt, and pressed him against the wall with very little effort. He made sure to keep Merle's arm with the knife pinned. "Calm the fuck down," he ordered the oldest Dixon.

"You can't stop me, Ginger," Merle snarled at the fox demon.

"Enough," Shippo growled and showed his red eyes to oldest Dixon. "Stop acting like you're the only one who's got someone to lose."

Merle struggled against the demons hold but eventually calmed down allowing Shippo to release him. "Get off'of me," the redneck growled at the demon before storming into the cellblock.

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Kagome and Andrea sat on the bench near the door.

Both of them enjoying the few moments of comfortable silence around them.

"I hate this," Andrea spoke up. "Why can't either of them see how pointless all this is?"

Kagome sighed, "Because it's not pointless to them. It's personal even before the Governor attacked us."

Andrea shook her head, "But Merle was the one who."

"Even if Merle started this, the Governor would have eventually found us and would have killed us for what we had," Kagome interrupted her.

"I don't believe that," Andrea retorted, turning towards the priestess, not believing that Philip was that kind of man.

Kagome shook her head and looked over to her, "Andrea, you know I'm a priestess right?" she asked, which the blonde woman nodded yes. "That means I have the ability to feel human souls. I could sense if someone is good or not...You want to know what I feel when I sense the Governor." Andrea hesitated but eventually nodded yes. Kagome closed her eyes and sensed the Governor's soul. "Rage...Vengeful...Unforgiving," the priestess listed what she felt from the man. She could tell that Andrea didn't believe her so she tried another tactic. "You know I'm right...Just like how I know that your soul is conflicted on the man you believed was genuinely trustworthy."

Andrea didn't respond right away. She was definitely conflicted between the group she saw as family and the people of Woodbury. There was only one thing that could help now. "What happened to Maggie?" she asked the priestess.

"It's not my place to say," Kagome replied, not feeling comfortable talking about what happened to Maggie.

"Please," Andrea begged her friend, "I need to know."

Kagome gave an exasperated sigh, 'Forgive me Maggie,' she prayed. "The Governor came into the room the held her in. It was just the two of them. He sat across from her and told her to take her shirt off. Maggie refused...Then the Governor told her that if she didn't do it, he'd cut off Glenn's hand." Andrea gasped, feeling completely horrified. "Maggie did what he said. Then he told her to take off her bra, which she did...Then he went behind her, pushed her onto the table and rubbed himself against her."

"Oh my God," Andrea lowered her head, putting both hands on her ears as if to tune out what she'd heard.

"He didn't rape her," Kagome told her in relief, "But if Maggie wasn't as brave as she is, he would have."

Andrea's hands began shaking, "I-I can't...I don't know what to do," she whimpered in fear.

Kagome leaned over and put her arms around her friend, "You can always come home. Please Andrea...We need you."

The blonde woman cried as she allowed Kagome to hug her.

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Sesshōmaru and Carol stood on the tower at the far end of the yard.

The sound of the children laughing caught there attention. Carl was riding a transformed Kilala with Judith in his arms as she slowly strolled the prison yard.

Souta and Sophia were playing some kind of racing game on the other side of the field.

Carol smiled down at her daughter, "You know Souta gave her flowers the other night."

Sesshōmaru huffed in acknowledgment.

"Our little girl is a woman now," Carol continued, "Soon she won't need us as much."

"The boy may be skilled. But I'll always be there to protect her," Sesshōmaru stated, making Carol nod. "And you," he added emotionlessly.

Carol raised a brow, "I'm stronger now. I can look after myself."

"I'm aware," Sesshōmaru said and took a few moments to continue, "It's what I wish to do."

The demon's confession made Carol's breath hitch. As long as she'd known Sesshōmaru, it had always been what Sophia wanted. Now, the demon lord was openly admitting that he wanted to watch over her just because he wanted to. Carol blushed and slowly began to smile.

But before she could comment, Sesshōmaru said that he had to leave.

"What?" she asked, wondering if she'd scared him off.

"Glenn and Maggie are rutting...loudly," the demon admitted before jumping off the tower and running into the woods.

Carol couldn't help but laugh, feeling a little sorry for the demon.

Sometimes it's a curse to have sensitive hearing.

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Another hour went by before Rick and the Governor emerged from the building.

It was obvious to everyone that nothing was resolved.

Without a word, everyone went to their vehicles.

As Kagome got on the back of Daryl's bike after he got on first, she looked at Andrea with pleading eyes.

The blonde woman inwardly struggled, but in the end she went with the Governor.

Kagome shook her head in disappointment as Daryl drove them back to the prison.

'Kamis...Amy,' the priestess prayed to her friend, 'Please watch over Andrea.'

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A little while later, after they returned to the prison, the group gathered in the cellblock to hear what Rick talked about with the Governor.

"So, I met this Governor. Sat with him for quite a while," Rick began to explain.

Merle raised a brow, "Just the two of ya?" When Rick nodded yes, he snorted. "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro."

"Shut up," Souta, Carl, and Sophia said in union to the oldest Dixon. The adults couldn't help but smile with pride and the shocked look on Merle's face.

"He wants the prison," Rick continued, "He wants us gone. Dead...He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." The leader looked at his family with regret, "We're going to war."

Shippo shrugged, "No surprise there."

When Rick left them, Daryl and Kagome went back to their office room.

It wasn't until Daryl took off his crossbow and vest that he noticed that Kagome was deep in thought.

"She'll be fine," he told her, "Andrea knows how to take care of herself."

"I know she does," Kagome replied as she put her bow and arrows in the corner and leaned up against the wall with her arms folded in contemplation. "That's not what's bothering me." Daryl step over to stand in front of her. "Rick and the Governor were there for a long time. He said the Governor wants revenge for Woodbury and the prison. That I believe but...It feels deeper than that...Like that won't be enough for him."

Daryl raised a brow, "What else could he want?"

Kagome shrugged, "I don't know."

The hunter leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers, "Whatever it is, we face it together."

The priestess nodded before leaned in and kissed her.

Kagome pulled back less than half a second later, "You had a cigarette didn't you?" she accused him.

Daryl looked as innocent as he could, "Maybe," before he tried to lean in to kiss her again.

"Nuh uh," the priestess dodged him, "Smoke if you want, but I'm not kissing you until you get that gross taste out of your mouth."

"Come on," the hunter said almost whining.

"Nope," Kagome teased before she left the room to start dinner for the group.

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Two days later, Daryl had discovered that Kagome was right in her suspicions.

There was something else the Governor wanted from them.

He wanted Michonne.

"It's the only way. No one else knows," Rick explained to Daryl in the basketball court. Hershel and Sesshōmaru were standing next to the hunter, both of them with looks of disapproval.

"You gonna tell 'em?" Daryl asked his leader.

"Not till after," Rick assured him. "We have to do it today. It has to be quiet."

The hunter shook his head in displeasure. He didn't like this idea at all and knew for sure the others fight against Rick's decision. "You got a plan?" Daryl asked him.

"We tell her we need to talk, away from the others," Rick suggested to them.

The demon growled outwardly in irritation. Rick even considering the option of sacrificing a valuable member of the pack was distasteful. The reason why he approved of the former police officer's leadership is because of his honor and loyalty.

If Rick went through with this, Sesshōmaru decided to not be a part of this disgraceful tactic.

Rick looked to the demon lord questioningly, "What?"

"I've never considered you as a coward before," Sesshōmaru voiced emotionlessly.

The leader glared at the demon, "You got an issue with this, that's your problem. But I need to think about our people...Our pack. You plan on stopping me?"

"It's not me you'd have to face when you've completed your exchange. Its Michonne's guardian," Sesshōmaru pointed out. "If you think I'm protective of Sophia, you have no idea of what the demon neko will do to you.

Rick didn't consider that. However, it didn't change his mind either.

"It just ain't us, man," Daryl voiced his opinion.

"No," Hershel agreed, before he used his crutches to walk away, "No, it isn't."

"We do this, we avoid a fight," Rick pleaded with Daryl.

Sesshōmaru shook his head, "Didn't think you to be naïve as well. This human will not rest until all of our pack is dead. Including your son and daughter."

Rick glared at the demon, "They have too many people."

"You're mistaken," Sesshōmaru disagreed showing his red demon eyes. "I've restrained our pack from relying on my power for survival. You needed to work on your own strength if you wished to live...But now is the time that I must step in," the demon lord told the men.

The human men listened to the demon of his plan.

In the end Rick declined the offer, "No. This is the only way to avoid the most bloodshed."

"Fool," Sesshōmaru spat before retreating to the prison.

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Merle watched as the others began to prepare the prison yard for a fight. Putting barbed wire in the field to blow tires. It even looked like the demons were trying to draw in Walkers to the other side of the prison, which he still didn't know the reason for.

Rick had come to the oldest Dixon earlier and told him of his plan to trade Michonne. Merle knew that the former sheriff didn't have it in him. "Ain't no way," he muttered out loud.

"What?" Carol asked as she came out of the cellblock with Judith and placed her in the play pin. Kagome was making breakfast for everyone. "What happened here?" the woman asked, looking at the ground of torn up mattress.

"Merle said he needed a 'vacation'," Kagome used air quotes when she explained the mess.

"Best dope I ever had was hidden in a mattress," Merle explained his reason. "Hey we got any whisky? Hell, I'll even drink vodka."

Kagome shook her head, "Sorry."

"Go to hell, Merle," Carol replied back making the oldest Dixon laugh.

"Behave you two," Kagome warned them both, "Or no stale cereal for either of you."

Merle snickered at the threat, "I'll be good, China Doll."

Carol sighed as she sat at the table and made sure the hand guns were all fully loaded and wouldn't jam when in use. "Are you with us?" she suddenly asked the oldest Dixon.

"Sure," Merle answered nonchalantly.

"I'm not talking about occupying the same space," Carol clarified before she stared Merle down, "Are you with us?"

Before he could reply Kagome answered for him, "No he's not."

Merle glared at the priestess, "The fuck you mean? You don't know me."

"In the end you're with Daryl," Kagome explained, "Always have been. It's the only reason you're here."

Merle didn't reply for a few moments, "Okay...Maybe you do know me."

Carol rolled her eyes, not knowing why she expected any different.

"You're a jerk, but in the end you mean well for Daryl. He told me of all the times that you were there for them when you could...You may not say it but you love him. And that's all that matters to me," the priestess replied as she made the instant eggs.

The oldest Dixon smirk faltered a little surprised that Daryl told her so much about him. But it did make him feel better with what he'd planned on doing. "Do you love my brother?" Merle asked the priestess.

Carol realized this conversation was private and decided to take Judith back into the cellblock.

Kagome waited until Carol was gone before she turned to face Merle, "Yes. I do."

Merle nodded, figuring that was the case. "I need ya ta do somethin' for me, China Doll?"

"Well that all depends," the priestess replied and folded her arms.

"On what?" he asked in amused curiosity

"Are you planning on doing something stupid?" Kagome asked him straight out.

Merle tried to play dumb, "Don't know what ya mean."

The priestess frowned and shook her head, "I'm an older sibling too, Merle. And I'd do whatever I had to in order to keep Souta safe...But whatever it is you're thinking, it's not worth it," Kagome told him. "Do you know how devastated Daryl would be if something ever happened to you?"

"Even if I was, he'd live. He's a Dixon," Merle told her.

"Well what about me?" she asked him, her voice cracking a little. "I'm with Daryl. That means you're my big brother too...And I don't want to lose you either."

Merle gave her one of his signature smiles, "Is that right?" Kagome nodded yes. "Well then, Lil' Sister. I need a favor from ya."

"Merle," she tried to argue with him.

"If somethin' happens to me...Look after him," the oldest Dixon told her, "Can you do that?"

"It won't matter because you're not going anywhere," Kagome urged, "If you do, I'll kick your ass."

Merle snickered, "Thought you'd put an arrow in my ass."

"That too," Kagome retorted seriously before pleading, "Please Merle...Please don't."

Merle didn't promise her anything. He only took a bowl and box of cereal to eat at the table.

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A few hours later, Daryl and Kagome were on patrol at the basketball court. The priestess used her powers to make sure that none of the Governor's men snuck up on them. Although her conversation with Merle left her with worry, Daryl's dark mood was easy for her to see.

"What's bothering you?" Kagome asked the hunter, knowing that something was on his mind.

Daryl shook his head, "Nothin'."

"Liar," the priestess accused, "You've been biting the skin off your thumb every five minutes. You do that when something's on your mind."

The hunter let out an exasperated sigh, "It's nothin' really...Just been wantin' Merle to apologize to Glenn and Maggie."

"You can't make him do that," Kagome reminded him, "Merle makes his own decisions."

"I know," Daryl agreed, "Just wish he'd do it."

Kagome walked forward and kissed her hunter, "Everyone just needs some time, Tenshi. To forgive and...Well, maybe not forget, but forgiving is a start."

Daryl smirked and kissed her forehead.

"Daryl," Rick called out as he came out of the prison.

The hunter and priestess separated, "What is it?" Kagome asked the group leader.

Rick looked only at Daryl, "It's off. We'll take our chances."

Daryl nodded in understanding, "I'm not sayin' it's the wrong call, but this is definitely the right one."

Kagome raised a brow, "What are you both talking about?"

Instead of answering her, Rick looked a little panicked, "I can't find Merle or Michonne. They've gone."

Daryl told Rick to follow him to the last place he saw Merle, Kagome went after them wanting answers.

"What's going on?" the priestess demanded from both men.

Rick cursed under his breath as they hurried to the boiler room, "The Governor wants Michonne. Said if we gave her up, he'd leave us alone."

Kagome's eyes widened in horror, "You considered that?!"

"Not anymore," Rick assured her until they came into the boiler room.

"He was here earlier," Daryl told them, "Said he was lookin' for drugs."

The priestess didn't sense any human souls.

But she did feel a familiar demonic one.

"Kilala?" Kagome called out for the demon cat. A small Kilala limped over from around the corner. Her beaten form made the others gasp. "Oh Kami," the priestess knelt down and lifted the cat into her arms. "Kilala, where's Michonne?"

"Gone," Daryl told her, lifting up a torn pillow case, "Merle brought her here. They mixed it up."

Kagome stood up, with Kilala still in her arms, "He's taking Michonne to the Governor."

"Damn it," Rick cursed. This was all his fault. He never should have even considered this deal or told Merle about it. "I'm going after him," he told the couple.

"You can't track for shit," Daryl told Rick.

"Then the both of us," he said, knowing that time was running out to save Michonne.

"No," Daryl shook his head, "Just me. I said I'd go and I'll go. When we get back, y'all need to be ready...You're family, too."

"I'm going with you," Kagome told Daryl.

The hunter shook his head, "Not this time."

The priestess knew that there was no time to argue and talk him out of going alone. "Fine. But take Kilala, she'll bring you all back faster when she feels better," she informed before she handed the demon cat to the hunter.

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Just like Kagome predicted, Kilala felt better about fifteen minutes later giving allowing Daryl to go through the woods more quickly.

It wasn't long after that they found Michonne.

Alone.

"Michonne," Daryl called out as the sword wielder beheaded a walker and stabbed it through the eye with her sword.

After the hunter hopped off the demon cat, she went over to nuzzle her mistress's side, relieved that she was unharmed.

"I'm alright," Michonne assured her faithful companion, scratching her head.

"Have you seen my brother?" Daryl asked the sword wielder, "Did you kill'em?"

Michonne shook her head, "He let me go."

Daryl nodded in slight relief, "Don't let anyone else come after me," he warned her before running to catch up with his brother, hoping he wasn't too late.

Kilala let out a whimper as she saw the hunter leave. Michonne pet her ears in comfort before hopping on the demon's back and went back to the prison.

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Meanwhile, Rick everyone gathered outside on the basketball court to speak with them.

"When I met with the Governor, he offered me a deal," he admitted to everyone, "He said he would leave us alone if I gave him Michonne."

Souta, Sophia, and Beth gasped in shock and horror.

Carol, who had Judith in her arms, glanced over at Sesshōmaru, he showed no sign of surprise. He must have known about this already. She would have commented on it, but she knew that their leader wasn't finished.

"And I was gonna do that," Rick continued, "To keep us safe...But I changed my mind. Now Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal and Daryl went to stop him and I don't know if it's too late."

Shippo glanced over at his mother, who wasn't looking at Rick. Instead, Kagome was looking out towards the woods, waiting for the Dixon men to return.

"I was wrong not to tell you," Rick admitted.

"No shit," Shippo muttered out loud.

Rick nodded, "I'm sorry...What I said last year, that first night after the farm, it can't be like that...It can't. What we do, what we're willing to do, who we are, it's not my call. It can't be...I couldn't sacrifice one of us for the greater good, because we are the greater good. We're the reason we're still here, not me...This is life and death. How you live, how you die, it isn't up to me...I'm not your Governor. We choose to go. We choose to stay. We stick together...We vote. We can stay and we can fight or we can go."

The group members looked at one another.

It was an easy decision in their minds.

They would stay and fight.

"Alright," Rick told the group, "Sesshōmaru gave us a plan. And we need everyone's help."

The group listened intently.

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It had been over two hours since Daryl had left. Kagome had been pacing nonstop on the basketball court, trying to calm her nerves.

When Michonne had returned after Rick had spoken to everyone, she informed the priestess that the oldest Dixon had let her go and that Daryl went to get him back

Kagome knew that something was wrong.

Despite their differences, the priestess and Merle were a lot alike.

They were protective older siblings.

She knew that Merle would go down fighting if it meant that his little brother would survive.

Which means the oldest Dixon was going to face the Governor, and possibly his men, alone.

A suicide mission.

Kagome shook her head at the thought. 'Kami please let me be wrong...Please don't do this to Daryl...To us...Please,' the priestess pleaded and prayed.

It wasn't until she saw a lone figure walking down the road that Kagome stopped pacing.

Her priestess powers and her heart knew that it was Daryl walking down the road.

Without Merle.

"No," Kagome whispered in denial as she ran down the prison yard and to the front gate to meet Daryl half way.

The hunter didn't see her coming, since his mind was more occupied with what he'd seen.

When Kagome stood in front of him, Daryl stopped dead in his tracks.

One look at her lover's face and the priestess knew the truth.

Merle was dead.

"No," Kagome whimpered as tears fell down her face.

Daryl nodded, his eyes were still red from he'd found at the feed store.

A good number of the Governor's men were dead.

He took a quick look around the area, and there he was...Merle...As a Walker.

Walker Merle was feeding on some of the Governor's recently dead men. Daryl had stabbed in the head repeatedly, out of sadness and anger, to put his older brother to rest. His eyes were still red from the tears he'd shed afterwards.

Kagome cried as she hugged Daryl, "I'm sorry," she sobbed while trying to comfort him through her own grief, "I'm so sorry."

It took a while for the hunter to wrap his arms around her in return, his head resting on her shoulder as a few loose tears went down his face.

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Telling the others what happened to Merle was hard for the devastated couple. The group was shocked that the oldest Dixon had made such a sacrifice for them. But in the end, Merle giving up his life gave them all just enough time to do what needed to be done.

Everyone went to work removing all traces of their life inside the prison. Cloths, food, medicine, any personal belongings.

As the group packed up the vehicles, Kagome dragged her brother to a corner and embraced him in a tight hug.

"Come on Sis," Souta whined in mild embarrassment.

"Shh," the priestess replied, squeezing her little brother in a tighter hug, "Just let me have this." The young Higurashi didn't complain, knowing that she was grieving for Merle. When Kagome pulled back she looked at her brother with seriousness in her eyes, "You take care of yourself."

Souta nodded his head, "I learned from the best remember."

Kagome gave a small smile and kissed the top of his head.

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Carol kneeled in front of her daughter next to one of the cars. "No matter what happens today, know that I love you."

"I know Mama," Sophia said as she embraced her mother, "I love you too." Sesshōmaru walked up just when Sophia let go of her mother. The young teenager didn't hesitate to hug the demon lord. "You'll protect everyone," she told him.

Sesshōmaru made no vocal promises, he only gently put his hand on top of Sophia's head. A small sign of affection that made the blonde smile widely in happiness.

Carol beamed at the sight.

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Inside the prison, Beth packed Judith's bag inside her cell, while telling herself over and over again that this plan was for the best.

"Almost ready?" Shippo asked while walking in to Beth's cell.

The blonde stopped what she was doing and looked at him, "I hate this," she admitted while turning to the demon fox.

Shippo walked up to her and cupped her cheek, "It's the only way."

Beth nodded, "We've lost so much...If we lose anyone else," she started to whimper.

"Hey," the demon fox interrupted, "I'm not going to let that happen. We'll make it through this," he said as a promise. "And when this is all over, I'm courting you the proper way."

His declaration made Beth smile, "You'd have to get past my Dad and sister first."

Shippo gave her a fox grin, "Bring it on."

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An hour later, the Governor had come to the prison with every military vehicle his people had taken from the raids.

Martinez and a few other men fired at the towers of the prison, figuring that a few of their enemies would take advantage of the high ground.

The vehicles drove though the prison yard at full speed.

"Shit!" yelled out one of the drivers as they ran over some spikes on the ground slashing one of their tires.

Once the vehicles shots, the men began to fire at the countless Walkers all over the courtyard.

They had the bullets to spare, so it was a little challenge.

"Go!" the Governor ordered when the guns stopped firing. The fighters of Woodbury moved forward, all armed and ready.

The further they got inside the prison the more confused some of the people were becoming.

Where were the people threatening to kill them?

Didn't the Governor say that these were cold blooded killers?

Then where were they?

Not questioning it, the Governor ordered one of the men to take one of the remaining drivable trucks to pull off the metal door. Once that was done, the fighters of Woodbury stormed in to the cellblock eating area and found it empty.

The Governor made a beeline to the cellblock where he and the rest of his men found every single cell empty. There was only one piece of evidence that anyone had lived in the prison. It was an opened bible with a highlighted passage.

" _And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."_

The Governor glared at the passage with hatred before throwing it against the wall.

The fighters of Woodbury looked to their leader for instruction as he exited the cellblock.

That's when they heard noises in the prion halls.

"Get out the flashlights. Let's split up," the Governor told his people before looking to one of his men, "You take a group that way," he said before looking to Martinez, "You take a group and follow me."

The Governor went first in labyrinth of the prison.

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Kagome sensed the Governor and his people coming down the hall of the labyrinth and gave Daryl the hand signal that the enemy was near.

The hunter gripped one of the many flashbangs and through it down the hall towards their enemy.

As soon as it went off the couple heard the fighters of Woodbury shouting.

Kagome threw the next flashbang before putting a barrier around herself and Daryl.

Suddenly, the alarms of the prison began to go off, making the Governor and his people scream in a panic.

The people of Woodbury began to scatter, trying to get out of the smoke created by the flashbangs.

That's when they heard them.

The familiar snarls of Walkers emerging down the prion halls.

When Rick and Daryl came up with the idea for Sesshōmaru and Shippo to lure Walkers back inside the prison and keep the undead trapped for the right moment, Kagome thought they were crazy.

However, it was the best way of taking the people of Woodbury off guard.

The priestess felt incredibly guilty when she sensed good souls with this group of fighters. 'To keep our family safe,' she told herself as she and Daryl left the halls, keeping the Walkers away from them with her barrier.

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Glenn heard the intruders leave the cellblocks and locked his weapon. "Get the hell out of here!" he yelled as he fired at the people of Woodbury.

Maggie, on the opposite side of the prison, began firing from her hiding spot.

Both of them kept firing to make people head back toward their cars. A few of the people, obviously frightened did just that, while a few others including Martinez stayed strong and began firing at them.

Realizing they weren't going to move Glenn looked to the back of the prison, "Now!"

The Governor and his trusted soldiers heard a three terrible growling sounds which made them momentarily stop firing their weapons.

A large Kilala and Shippo, in his animal demon form, charged at two of the Governors men and tackled them to the ground, both of them ripping the humans to shreds with their teeth and claws.

Before the Governor and Martinez could fire at the two demons, the earth shook.

A few of the Woodbury fighters, who felt more like helpless civilians looked at one another in fear.

Was it an earthquake?

Did these people have a large machine of some sort?

No.

The source of the termers was revealed, and what they saw made their jaws drop.

From the back of the prison a giant white monster emerged.

The true demon form, and very angry, Sesshōmaru.

The dog demon stood on all fours tall and roared at the Governor and the people of Woodbury. A few of the civilians fell to the ground from the force of the demon lord's roar. A few of them screamed in agony, feeling Sesshōmaru's poison coming from his breath.

Even Glenn and Maggie trembled in fear, while thanking God that the demon was on their side.

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In the woods, Hershel, Beth, Sophia, Souta, and Carl could hear the gun shots and the roars of the demons.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sophia asked the others, worried about Sesshōmaru.

Souta snorted, "Are you kidding?" he asked pointing to the demon lord's large form that could be seen a little bit over the tree tops. "I feel more concerned about those Woodbury people."

Beth rocked Judith as the baby whimpered in her arms, 'You better be safe Shippo.'

Carl looked at the direction of the prison, "I should be there."

Souta looked at his best friend, "We need your help here, just in case this goes bad."

Hershel nodded, "Your sister needs you."

Carl glanced over at Judith and sighed in defeat.

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The Governor snarled as he began to shoot his gun at the big dog demon, but Sesshōmaru barley felt a thing from the bullet.

A few of the people in the military cars tried to fire their bigger guns at Sesshōmaru, but nothing happened.

"It's not working!" one of the men yelled.

Rick smirked from his hiding place in the bus of the courtyard when he heard that, along with Carol and Michonne who kept all the bullets from the military vehicles the Governor brought with him.

Eventually, the fighters of Woodbury gave up on trying to fight the people of the prison, especially with those giant animals on their side. They hopped into one of the still working trucks and drove out of the prison.

"Get back here!" the Governor yelled at the fleeing truck.

"That won't help!" Martinez yelled at his friend, "We got to go!"

Kilala and Shippo emerged from their recent kill and began to chase the Governor and Martinez. Both men ran as fast as they could to one of their vehicles. They would occasionally turn around to fire their weapons at the demons, who both easily dodged the attack each time.

The Governor glared at the demons in anger as he got in the vehicle and drove away.

Woodbury lost the battle.

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The young man ran as fast as he could in the wood as soon as he escaped the prison.

He couldn't believe what he'd seen.

'What the fuck were those things!?' he kept asking himself when he saw that giant dog and feline like things. But whatever they were, he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

The young man kept running until he came across a car that was covered in tree branches. He stopped when two boys came out with guns. An old man sat up from behind the car, also with a gun in hand. Beth and Sophia remained hidden, wanting to protect Judith from possible danger.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," the young man held his hands up in surrender, "Don't shoot."

"Drop the weapon, son," Hershel ordered.

The young man immediately nodded, "Yah sure." He began to offer his rifle to Carl, "Here. Take it."

Carl's hand shook as he kept his gun pointed on the stranger. His mind kept flooding with possibilities of what this guy could be. This guy could give up on life and want to kill everyone, wanting to save them from this cruel life, like the doctor from the CDC.

Or someone like Shane, who will befriended them before making his move to kill his father.

He could become another Governor, bent on destroying his family.

Or worse, Judith.

The image of the Walker that killed Dale also flashed into his mind.

With that moment replaying in his head, Carl squeezed the trigger and shot the stranger right in the head.

Beth and Sophia sat up from the ground to see what had happened.

Hershel and Souta looked at the young Grimes in shock.

"What did you do?" Sophia asked her best friend in horror.

Carl eventually looked over to her, "I had to stop him...I had to."

Hershel shook his head at the answer.

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Kagome and Daryl came out of the prison just as Kilala and Shippo transformed into their less lethal sizes. The priestess looked up at the giant Sesshōmaru, "Are they gone?" she asked him.

Sesshōmaru growled before transforming into a ball of light and returning to his human from, landing in front of the couple. "They've all fled," he assured them.

Rick and the others all gathered at the basketball court.

"We did it. We drove them out," said Glenn.

"We should go after them," Michonne told everyone.

Daryl nodded in agreement, "We should finish it."

"It is finished," Maggie voiced, "Didn't you see them hightail it out of here?"

Kagome shook her head, "The Governor is crazy. He won't stop just because of this."

"She's right," Glenn agreed, "His people will eventually regroup."

Shippo snorted, "Let them try."

"We shouldn't be relying on you and Sesshōmaru," Carol voiced out, "All takes is one person to get a lucky shot."

Sesshōmaru's eyes glanced over to her, "As the Kitsune said. Let them try."

"We can't keep living like this," Carol told the demon.

Maggie was still skeptical, "So we take the fight back to Woodbury. We barely made it back last time."

"I don't care," Daryl spat out.

Kagome put her hand on the hunter's arm, "We can't let Merle's sacrifice be in vain," she said to Rick.

Their once group leader thought it over and came to a decision, "Yah. But let's check on the others."

Figuring that the fight was over when Sesshōmaru returned to his humanoid forms, Hershel, Beth and the children went back to the prison. All of them used the back entrance that they knew was secure and went into the familiar cellblock.

After Sesshōmaru created a pathway by killing all the Walkers that surrounded them after their battle, Rick, Daryl, Kagome, Michonne and a small Kilala headed to Woodbury.

They were going to end this once and for all.

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Daryl rode with Kagome holding on behind him on his motorcycle while Rick and Michonne followed them in the car.

All of them were mentally preparing for what they had to do next.

They had to go to Woodbury and end the Governor's reign.

Kagome briefly wondered how her fifteen year old self would have thought about killing a man. But things were different now. She was different. The priestess wasn't going to hesitate to protect her family.

The group continued on the road until a sight of familiar cars parked on the road.

All of them surrounded by slaughtered bodies.

The hunter stopped his motorcycle, allowing him and Kagome to get off. Rick and Michonne also stopped their car and got out.

They couldn't believe it.

The people of Woodbury that just attacked the prison.

The people whose lives they'd spared.

They were all here.

Dead.

Bullet holes were all over their bodies and their heads. At least from what they could tell. A few stray Walkers were feasting on the recently dead. Daryl, Rick and Michonne quickly went to work to take care of the Walkers

Kagome shook her head at the sight. Those poor souls had no idea of what they signed up for with the Governor. The priestess used her powers to check the bodies to make sure that no one was alive.

That's when she sensed it.

"Daryl," she whispered and pointed to one of the military vehicles.

The hunter understood what she meant. Arming himself with his crossbow, he opened the door to the car.

The woman inside the car screeched as she held up her hands in surrender.

Rick aimed his gun at the woman and gestured her to stand outside.

The woman obeyed and allowed Daryl to search her for weapons. When he was finished, the woman looked around at the dead bodies around them.

"The Governor killed them...Didn't he?" Kagome voiced what everyone already knew.

The woman nodded, "We didn't want to go back...Then he started firing at everyone...He's insane."

Rick stared at the woman for a few moments, "What's your name?"

The woman hesitated, not expecting that question, "Karen."

"Karen", Rick repeated the name, "We need your help."

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The group was the same plan as before the first time they tried to enter Woodbury.

Rick and Daryl parked a mile away from the gates of the guarded town in order to have an advantage.

But unlike last time, they were spotted.

The people on the wall began firing on them.

Rick, Daryl and Michonne, ducked behind the car, taking out there fire arms and began shooting. Kagome and Karen were the only ones that didn't shoot.

After a few bullets were shot, there was a moment of silence.

"Tyreese," Karen yelled out, "It's me! Don't!"

"Get down!" Rick ordered, pulling the woman down.

"Rick," the priestess scowled, "It's Tyreese and Sasha. The ones who found the prison before."

"Karen!" Tyreese shouted back from his spot on the wall, "Karen, are you okay!?"

Karen stepped out, her arms out in the air, "I'm fine!"

"Where's the Governor!?" Tyreese yelled in question.

Kagome's eyes glared in fury. The bastard didn't return to his people after all.

"He fired on everyone! He killed them all!" Karen quickly explained.

Tyreese looked over at his sister Sasha who both gasped in disbelief. "Why are you with them!?" he quickly asked.

"They saved me," Karen told the truth.

Rick looked over at Daryl and Kagome who nodded in agreement with what he was thinking. "We're coming out!" he told them.

The group stepped away from their cover, arms in the air in surrender.

A few moments later, Tyreese open the front gate.

"I'm glad you both are alright," Kagome told Tyreese and Sasha putting her arms down.

Tyreese nodded, "What are you doing here?"

"We were coming to finish this," Rick answered honestly, "Until we saw what the Governor had done to his own people."

"He-He killed them?" Tyreese asked in disbelief. Karen nodded her head to verify Rick's story.

"Karen told us on the way here that Andrea hopped the wall going for the prison," Rick said to them, "She never made it."

As soon as Rick spoke the words, Kilala meowed and jumped from Michonne's shoulder.

"What is it?" the sword wielder asked her companion.

"She found Andrea," Kagome told the others, following the demon cat.

"How does a cat know that?" Sasha asked in confusion.

"Trust us, she knows," Daryl replied before following the priestess.

There others weren't far behind the couple.

Kagome ran after Kilala, all the way to the building where the Governor had hidden Glenn and Maggie.

Tyreese, Sasha, and even Karen looked at the place in confusion.

"The Governor held people here?" Tyreese asked in disgust.

"He did more than hold them," Daryl replied.

Kilala kept walking until they came across a steel door and used her paw to scratch on the surface.

Blood was slowly spilling out on ground behind the door.

Kagome's skin went cold at the sight. The evidence of the amount blood could only mean one thing. Hoping to be wrong, the priestess stood in front of the door to sense who was inside.

Andrea was there...But her soul was growing weak.

"No," the priestess whimpered.

Daryl was at Kagome's side in an instant.

Rick stepped in front of the couple and opened the door.

The first thing they saw was a dead Milton Walker in front of some kind of dental chair. A pair of handcuffs were hanging on the arm of the chair. Next to the chair was a table of different looking tools.

Tools for torture.

Before the group could question things further, a whimper from Andrea was laying on the side of the wall by the door.

"Andrea," Michonne and Kagome cried at the same time. Both women went in and knelt by the wounded blonde's side. Kilala slowly went up to Andrea and rubbed her body against her limped hand.

Andrea's eyes fluttered open, "I-I tried to stop them," she weakly admitted.

Michonne put her hand on the blonde's forehead, "You're burning up."

Andrea lifted her limp and pulled her jacket sleeve down her shoulder. Kagome's eyes teared up at the sight of what was on Andrea's shoulder.

A Walker bite.

Rick and Daryl cursed under their breaths.

"Judith?...The kids? The rest of them?" Andrea began to ask.

"Us," Rick corrected her, "The rest of us."

Andrea gave a weak smile, "Are they alive?"

Kagome nodded as a tear fell down her cheek, "Yes."

Andrea smiled wider in relief, before looking up at Michonne. "It's good you found them...No one can make it alone now."

Daryl nodded, "Never could."

The blonde nodded back at him, "Damn right...You better take care of my sister, or I'll haunt your ass," she gestured to the priestess.

Kagome gave a sad laugh.

"I should have come back," Andrea admitted to the priestess, "I just didn't want anyone to die." Taking one last look around her family, she made her decision, "I can do it myself."

The woman's eyes widened at what the blonde was suggesting.

She wanted to take her own life to prevent herself from becoming a Walker.

"No," Michonne protest.

"Andrea please," Kagome begged her.

"I have to," Andrea interrupted, "While I still can...Please?" she looked to Rick with pleading eyes. Rick hesitated before handing over a hand gun to her. "I know how the safety works," she weakly joked, since Rick taught her how to remove the safety from her gun back in Atlanta.

Daryl leaned down and put his hand on Kagome's shoulder. He didn't want her to see what Andrea was about to do. The priestess allowed the hunter to pull her up and take her outside the room.

Tyreese, Sasha, and Karen stood silently as Daryl brought Kagome into his arms, while silent tears streamed down her face.

Rick, Michonne, and Kilala came out the room a few moments later, closing the door behind them.

A few heartbeats later, the sound of a gunshot was heard on the other side.

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It was morning when the group began making their way back to the prison.

It took longer than they thought to leave Woodbury since the group made the decision of allowing the innocent people of Woodbury to live in the prison with them.

They couldn't live with themselves if the Governor killed them in cold blood too.

It took some convincing from Karen, Tyreese and Sasha, but the people of the town eventually agreed.

Hot wiring one of the buses that stood against the town wall, the town packed up and made their way to their new home.

Daryl led the way to the prion on his bike with Kagome's arms wrapped around them.

The Governor may still have been out there.

But for now, they had their people to worry about.

Things were going to change.

For better or worse.

Only time could tell.

 **At last, I can stop. Man that was a long one. I didn't like killing off Merle, but I honestly couldn't see a way around it. His death was tragic for Daryl, but again, I thought it was necessary since that event gave the others a chance to live. So what do you think? Next time: The start of something new and the beginning of something...else.**

 **Till Then My Readers.**


	23. Keep Moving On

**Arrows and Scars**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **Mari Cherie: Hey Gome. Thank you so much for your support. I hope I don't disappoint you in this chapter.**

 **: Again, I'm so sorry I missed you last time. Hopefully it won't happen to you or any other reviewer or supporter in the future.**

 **GreenHoneyTea: I'm glad you're enjoying the unique cuteness of this fic.**

 **masterbroly: In this chapter, I'm afraid not. However, that doesn't mean it can't happen in the future. When it comes to our main couple, I'm afraid we can't rush them.**

 **GiggleboxGirlie: Thanks, adding Kilala seemed like a good idea to me and I'm glad to hear that someone else thinks so too. I also agree completely about Kagome wanting to be given something personal and sentimental as opposed to clichéd flowers and chocolates. I'm also glad you liked Kagome and Merle's last conversation. I didn't want anyone to think that Kagome dislikes Merle, far from it, but in a way she can empathize with him when it comes to Daryl.**

 **Elfy lolita: I know...I cried a lot when I wrote this chapter...And it probably won't be the last time either...That's gonna be fun.**

 **darkangel0212: I'll try XD**

 **NicoleR85: Wait no longer.**

 **Tsukikageshi: She has told him. And he accepted it...As for a miracle baby...You'll have to read and see *wink wink***

 **Kaggie21: Once again, your sweet messages always makes me smile. Thank you so much for your encouragement and I hope I don't disappointment.**

 **MOONWOLF1234: Well that's good that you liked that scene, because that's what I was aiming for.**

 **yachiru-chan92: You're Welcome.**

 **Guest: Here you go.**

 **Spastic Freak: Awww, thank you so much.**

 **Saricaykes: Yes it was sad. Hopefully I have 'happy' moments to make up for the last chapter.**

 **Thank you for your awesome reviews. Plus a huge thanks to forbidden-neko, Inu-Hanyou2016, lobalunallena, yachiru-chan92, Stellar Spirit, LadyBlitzs, terminatorthesecond, Goldenfightergirl, FFLover 4ever, claire nunnaly, Ayeilin, Abeytu, RavensDragonflyFire, SilverIcy and kat151820**

Disclaimer: I don't anything from this amazing show or anime. So don't sue me.

Chapter Twenty Three: Keep Moving On

Many months had gone by after that final night at Woodbury.

The seasons changed and so did the prison.

The group had grown bigger.

Not just because the additional people they've brought back from Woodbury, but from all the people that everyone brought in from their runs over the past few months.

Due to their group continuously growing, the original members thought it be a good idea to create a council since Rick no longer wanted to be in charge. The group understood his reasons and couldn't blame him for wanting a little time off to be with Carl and Judith.

The council members chosen were Hershel, Carol, Daryl, Kagome, Glenn and Sasha. In their very first council meeting, they discussed and agreed that if someone was going to be brought back to the prison, they'd have to answer three questions first.

How many Walkers have you killed?

How many people have you killed?

Why?

They seemed like reasonable enough questions, and they could get a better idea of a person's character and objectives. Plus Kagome and the demons of their group would be able to sense if there was any ill intent from a certain individual. But so far there hadn't been a single person that had been turned away.

Living in a prison was a bit of an adjustment for some of the new people who were not used to being confined into a tight space with very little privacy. But it was a small price to pay for the secureness of the prison walls and the numbers for protection.

The main issue people had trouble with was when they discovered that Shippo, Sesshōmaru, and Kilala were demons.

No matter how many times Kagome explained to everyone that the demons were harmless, for the most part, people were still wary of the supernatural creatures.

Their judgments reminded the priestess of the prejudice days of the Feudal Era.

Humans not giving demons a chance all because they were different.

It took some time, but eventually the people of the prison started to get used to the demons, otherwise they would just avoided him.

The children loved Kilala, who could always be found outside playing with them in both her small and larger from. The fox demon was also a big hit with the kids since he used his illusions during story time. Shippo also managed to drag a large herd of Walkers away a few times and not get hurt, and made a lot of the adults more at ease that they had a strong protector on their side. As for Sesshōmaru, for those that came across him, most people didn't socialize much with him. But everyone was smart enough to show him respect whenever they crossed paths.

Thanks to team work and a lot of imagination, the outside of the prison was now barely recognizable.

If it weren't for the fences or cells, people would have forgotten what this facility had once been. Everyone, including the new people, had a part to make sure that this once horrible place could be called a home.

The fences and the towers were repaired, since they were destroyed by the Governor's men. Now it had a reinforced entrance with metal doors, as well as spikes all around it to stop Walkers from entering from the corner of the doors when they were open.

The courtyard was now a garden to grow crops and herbs that Hershel and Kagome could find. There was also a small barn that held stray horses, pigs and even a few chickens.

There was even a former plumber and an engineer in their group that managed to create a watering system for the prison to have clean drinking and bathing water, much to everyone's delight.

The basketball court was now a big outside eating area with a barbeque pit, where people ate their meals. Everyone took turns cooking and preparing food. The concrete ground and walls were decorated by chalk art left by the children.

It was a lot of work, but in the end it was worth it.

And after all this time, it was safe to say that life in their home was a peaceful one.

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 **Warning: First few paragraphs are the end of a lemon.**

Kagome moaned while she was on her knees with her legs spread on the mattress, her hands were placed on the wall in front of her to keep her steady. She was close to coming apart in ecstasy while Daryl was also on his knees behind her, thrusting inside of her vigorously. **"An-Angel,"** the priestess cried as she climaxed.

The hunter gave a few more eager thrusts before he released his seed inside of her, "Ka-Kagome."

Both of them panted from their love making for a few moments, enjoying the feel of one another.

The priestess smiled as Daryl placed a few open mouth kisses on her sweaty back before leaning over her shoulder to look at her. Kagome's smiled remained as she turned to look at him before they shared a passionate kiss.

 **End of Lemon (It's safe, I promise)**

Kagome sat on their mattress and stretched as she watched Daryl get up to get dressed for the day.

Daryl's appearance had changed a little over these past long months. His was a little tanner, his hair was much longer and a few shades darker. His muscles were more toned and noticeable as well, which Kagome wasn't complaining about at all.

But no matter how much the hunter's outer appearance changed, he still remained her strong and protective angel.

"Are you going on that run later today?" Kagome asked him curiously before she grabbed Daryl's discarded shirt from the floor and put it on to cover herself. The hunter didn't know why she did this, since he'd already seen her naked. Many times actually. But he did like seeing Kagome wearing his shirt, since it barely covered what it needed to cover.

The hunter just finished button his pants before he answered Kagome's question, "Yah. That Big Spot don't look like it's been raided yet."

"Well that's good," the priestess said relieved as she buttoned to the end of his shirt on her. There wasn't that many stores or shops left in the area that hadn't been cleared out. They really need to restock food supplies, so anything they could find would be a big help.

But every time Daryl went out to scavenge, he'd try to return with something he thought Kagome would like. Most of what he brought back could be found around their room. Like the bright colored sun catcher or and butterfly figurines. But what he'd mostly look for, that made Kagome's eyes brighten with happiness, were blank journals for her writing. Such a simple thing to want but his priestess treated them like priceless treasures.

The hunter nodded to Kagome's response as he put on and buttoned one of his sleeveless shirts, "Any plans today?"

Kagome shrugged, "The usual. Give Souta and Sophia their lessons. Pull weeds from the herb garden. Play with the kids. And maybe get some laundry done."

"What, no shrink time with Rick?" Daryl muttered, with a hint of irritation in his voice.

The priestess frowned at his reply, her happy mood slowly wavering. "Not this again," she warned him, "We're friends...You know this."

Over the past two months, Rick had been starting to get into the habit of coming to Kagome when he needed someone to talk to. She could tell that it bothered Daryl a lot, since these talks with Rick felt very frequent to him. The priestess didn't see the harm since Rick talked to Hershel just as much as her. All three of them spent a lot of time in the crop field, and it was only natural that they'd end up talking. Plus, they all knew what it was like to lose someone they had loved, which gave them all a unique bond.

"Sorry," the hunter apologized softly, cursing himself inwardly as he saw the light leave Kagome's eyes. He hated that his jealousy of Rick spending time with his priestess got the better of him.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his friend or even his girlfriend

It was himself he doubted.

Daryl still, and possibly always will, felt that he wasn't good enough for Kagome, no matter how much she told him otherwise. Now that that their lives were more stable, he wondered if the priestess would change her mind about him.

Kagome shook her head as sat up from the bed to walk over to Daryl. She placed a tender hand on his cheek. "You're the one I'm with, Daryl. No one could ever take your place in my heart," Kagome promised him. "What do I have to do to make you believe that?"

Trying to change the mood, the hunter's mouth turned into a small grin and his eyes became mischievous.

The priestess raised a knowing brow, "Didn't we just do that, **you pervert**?"

"I didn't say nothin'," Daryl pointed out, "Now who's the pervert?"

"Still you. I'm just what you made me," Kagome countered while she played with a strand his hair, "The woman who loves you."

Daryl gave a full smirk before he leaned down and captured Kagome's lips. She always knew what he needed to hear to put his nerves at ease.

The priestess couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'He didn't say it...again,' she thought sadly. Kagome had told Daryl she loved him countless times. And Daryl had never uttered the word once. She knew that he loved her, anyone with eyes could see that he did. 'Still, it would be nice to hear.'

A few minutes later, Kagome got dressed in her tennis shoes, long dark blue jeans, and a green long sleeved flannel shirt. The bracelet that Daryl had given her still remained tight on her wrist. The hunter smiled every time he saw it on her. Like a piece of him was always with her, even when they were apart.

Some of the people at the eating area greeted her and waved good morning. She smiled and waved back at them. Her eyes couldn't help but go to the fences where people were killing the Walkers that pressed against the fence.

The priestess couldn't help but sigh.

The sight was just a reminder her of their missing group member.

" _I must go," Sesshōmaru informed the group after the people of Woodbury had settled into their assigned cellblocks._

 _Everyone's eyes widened, not believing what they just heard from the demon._

 _Especially Carol and Sophia._

" _Go? Go where?" the young blonde asked in confusion._

 _The demon looked at Sophia and then the adults, "The Governor is still alive. As long as he lives, Sophia will never be safe."_

 _Glenn shook his head, "But we're rebuilding this place. And we need you here," he reminded the demon. The Korean couldn't imagen how they could possibly keep this place safe without the demon lord._

" _You do not," Sesshōmaru countered, "There is more of you now. And you all know how to protect yourselves. You don't need my reliance...But I cannot allow The Governor to live."_

 _Michonne nodded, feeling the exact same way, especially since it was the Governor's fault that her best friend was dead. "We'll hunt him together," she told the demon. Kilala meowed to show that she'd go as well._

" _Yah," Daryl agreed, wanting to hunt the son of a bitch down since he killed Merle._

 _Sesshōmaru shook his head, "If you wish to hunt him, you must do so on your own. I, however, will go alone."_

 _Carol couldn't help but scowl at the demon. After all they've been through, and all they've suffered, he was going to do this now. "You promised you'd never leave Sophia."_

" _I'm doing this for her," the demon lord said harshly, not appreciating Carol's tone. "Sophia and our pack won't be safe until the human dies."_

" _But," Carol tried to argue._

" _Carol stop," Kagome interrupted before looking at the group. "Look, all of you need to understand that Sesshōmaru's honor won't allow him to stay here when he knows a big threat exists against his pack...If he doesn't go after the Governor now, he'll go crazy."_

 _Carol looked at the others, hoping someone would be on her side. When no one said a word, Carol shook her head in disappointment. Anger was clearly etched on her face as she turned away to retreat into her cell._

 _The priestess watched the woman leave, knowing that her feelings for Sesshōmaru was making it hard for her to accept him leaving. The only reason Kagome understood the demon lord's reasons was because she knew him longer than the others._

 _It was because Sesshōmaru cared so much about Sophia and Carol, and possibly everyone in this group that he needed to do this._

' _I hope Carol will realize that one day,' the priestess hoped before looking back to Sesshōmaru. "We'll guard Sophia with our lives," she swore to him, causing the demon to nod in acceptance._

 _Sophia frowned, not wanting Sesshōmaru to leave but didn't want him to be miserable either. So she went up and hugged the demon goodbye, "Promise you'll come back."_

 _Sesshōmaru rubbed her head affectionately, "As soon as the Governor's dead," the demon swore to her._

Kagome sighed again at the memory.

It's been three months and Sesshōmaru had shown no sign of that he'd return. Sophia often expressed her worries but the priestess assured her that the demon lord was alive. Apparently, the Governor had burned Woodbury to the ground after the group left with the people of Woodbury. It covered his tracks in the process, which would make him harder to track. 'He'll return...He always does.'

As for Carol...She had changed a lot since Sesshōmaru's departure.

Although, she talked to the group and they knew she'd do whatever it takes to protect everyone, but there was definitely a coldness in Carol's demeanor that was slowly growing inside of her. No one really talked about it since the reason for her behavior was Sesshōmaru's absence. Sophia could definitely tell the difference but she never voiced her concerns.

The group only trusted that when the demon lord returned, everything would go back to normal.

A man like the Governor couldn't hide forever.

'And when Sesshōmaru finds him...May Kami have mercy on that human's soul when he does,' Kagome thought the last part sarcastically.

The priestess walked down to the garden where Rick and Carl where already standing by the barn, with concerned look on their faces.

"What's going on?" the priestess asked them.

"Somethings wrong with Violet," Carl gestured to one of the pigs who was moaning on the ground.

Kagome looked at the weak looking pig, "Oh no, is she sick?"

"Hope not," Rick retorted, finding the whole thing a little odd.

The priestess shrugged off the situation "She probably just has a stomach ache or something. Anyway, do you need me for anything?" she asked the Grimes

"Don't Souta and Sophia have their survival lessons today?" Rick asked her.

Carl looked at the priestess with obvious interest. It had been months since his father took his gun away. It felt so odd in the beginning, but he felt a little useless without it. Carl had been hoping his dad would change his mind about letting him train with his friends, but so far his father said no.

Rick was doing this for his son so he wouldn't lose himself to the world. Both Hershel and Kagome had expressed their concerns for him and Carl, about how they were losing their humanity. Rick didn't want that for Carl, so he decided to make a change. Hershel introduced him to farming, and he taught Carl in his spare time. Kagome was teaching him what she knew about gardening and doing things the old fashioned way. He became very protective of the priestess after all the time they've spent together, and treated her as his own child since she was an excellent big sister for Carl and Judith.

"Yes," Kagome answered, "But I wanted to see if you guys needed help."

Rick shook his head, "Nah, go ahead. We got this."

The priestess nodded, "Okay then. Make sure you both stay hydrated. And keep Rick out of trouble, Carl."

"Always do," Carl replied as she walked back to the eating area.

The former leader snorted at the two, "Right."

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Meanwhile inside the prison.

"Quit it," Beth giggled as Shippo licked the side of her ear before he softly blew on her skin, making goosebumps form on her body. They were both in his cell on the bottom bunk laying in each other's arms, enjoying what little quiet and alone time they had.

"I can't help it," the fox demon whined, "You just smell and taste so good."

Beth blushed lightly at Shippo's comment before playfully smacking his arm. "Whatever. Now come on, I want to see Glenn and the others before they go."

The couple's relationship became more serious since Shippo finally had a chance to talk with Beth's family

 _It was the day after the people of Woodbury moved into the prison. The fox demon sat at one of the eating tables with Hershel, Maggie and Glenn sitting across from him._

" _Thank you all for coming to meet me," Shippo told them, even though he was obviously nervous._

 _Maggie and Glenn raised a brow in confusion, while Hershel had a knowing look in his eye._

" _What did you wish to ask us?" Hershel asked the fox demon._

 _Shippo gulped nervously before bowing his head respectfully, "With your permission, I would like to pursue a relationship with Beth."_

 _Maggie gasped at the request while Hershel sighed, having a feeling that this would happen._

 _Glenn raised a brow in confusion, "Uhh why are you asking us?" he asked out of curiosity._

" _Because you're her family," Shippo replied simply as he stood up straight. "And I wanted to do things properly with Beth...She's different from any other woman I've known."_

 _Hershel folded his arms looking the fox demon up and down, "What makes you think I'd allow you to date."_

" _Court," Shippo interrupted to correct the term and quickly cleared his throat._

 _The veterinarian raised a brow, "Alright...Court, my youngest child? What do you have to offer her?"_

 _Shippo shrugged, "Nothing... All I can really offer her is my protection from this apocalyptic world...And my heart if she'll have me."_

 _Maggie couldn't help but smile at the last part, "Will you treat her right?" she asked the demon_

" _I promise to treat her like a princess...It's what she deserves," Shippo replied honestly._

 _Hershel studied the demons face for a few moments, "Kagome has told us a little bit about your past. Including your past relationships with other young ladies." Shippo blushed lightly and began rubbing the back of his neck. "How do I know you won't follow the same path as you did back then?"_

 _Shippo shook his head, "I won't...As I said, Beth is different...I love her, sir."_

 _Glenn understood where Shippo was coming from, having felt the same way about Maggie. A part of him wish he'd done something similar about talking with Hershel before seeing each other. "In the end it's up to Beth. But if you want to be with her, you have my permission."_

" _Mine too," Maggie replied to the demon, "But you better be good to her."_

 _Shippo nodded, "I will," he assured her before looking to Hershel, "Do I have your blessing sir?"_

 _Hershel's face remained neutral for almost a full minute before smiling, "You have it."_

Ture to his word, the fox demon treated Beth with love and respect she deserved. Everyday he'd learned something new about her and knew that he'd love her forever. Beth felt the same towards him and knew there was no one else that she'd rather spend her life with.

"Are you going to say good bye this time?" Shippo asked pulling away, and holding his head up with his elbow.

Beth shook her head, "I can't...I don't like saying it."

The fox demon nodded, "Yeah, me too." Shippo had never said good bye to anyone ever since that battle with Naraku. It just felt so final to say the words out loud. As if it's the last time you'll ever see that person again. "Who's all going on the run?" he asked her, wanting to change the sad subject.

"Daryl, Glenn, Tyrese, Sasha, and Zach," Beth listed off the volunteers. That last name made Shippo growl in irritation. "You be nice," she scolded him, expecting him to behave this way.

"That guy better not flirt with you," Shippo stated harshly.

Beth heckled, "After you threatened him last time, I doubt he will."

"I didn't threaten him," the fox demon said sounding a little offended, "I just had a friendly conversation with him."

"Friendly?" Beth repeated, "You said you'd cut his balls off if he flirted with me again."

Shippo shrugged, not seeing the problem, "See. A friendly warning in our conversation."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "You're impossible."

"But you love me, right?" he asked, giving her the saddest puppy dog pout he could make.

Beth couldn't help but smile, "Yes I do."

Shippo's sad face turned into a huge fox demon grin, "Good," he said before kissing Beth lovingly which she responded just as passionately. "I love you too," he told her when they finally parted.

The blonde smiled as she reached up and touched a mark on her right shoulder that was almost fully covered by her blouse. The gesture made shivers go up the fox demon's spine. "Are we going to tell Kagome today?...About us?" Beth asked him seriously.

The fox demon thought over the question carefully. He wasn't exactly eager to tell his mother what he and Beth had done a few nights ago, but he knew it couldn't stay secret forever. "Only when the time's right," he answered her.

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It wasn't long until Souta and Sophia finished breakfast and met with Kagome against the far side of the prison. The priestess held the lessons there just in case a loose arrow flew by and wouldn't hit any living person.

Sophia had grown fond of the lessons, since she admired Kagome a lot and wanted to learn whatever she could from her.

Souta also liked learning archery but liked the hand to hand combat skills more.

"Morning Kagome," Sophia greeted the priestess before she began stretching her arms. Kagome instructed them to do this whenever they practiced.

Souta greeted his sister before following Sophia's example, "Hey Sis, are we learning anything new today?"

Kagome shook her head, "Not until you can take me down with the move I showed you last time." The young Higurashi pouted but accepted the terms his older sister had set. "Now, two Walkers are coming at you, what do you do?" She would often quiz the children on certain scenarios that they may one day encounter.

"Get them to our level and kill them," Sophia answered the question confidently.

"What if there were six living people who wanted to hurt you?" the priestess asked.

"We run," Souta answered this time, "Never take on a group. If they chase you, keep running and never stop. If you hide, make sure you stay hidden."

Kagome nodded, satisfied with the answer, "If you lose your weapon?"

"You're never unarmed if you use your brain," Sophia answered, "Even if it's jabbing a thumb to an eye or slamming your palm hard enough to break a nose. Get creative and survive."

The priestess let out a breath, proud of how much Sophia and Souta had learned after all this time. Kagome felt a little sad that they both had to grow up so fast to live in a world like this, but she always made sure that they took the time to just be kids. "Good," Kagome told them both, "I'm so proud of both of you...Now let's get started. Sophia, you practice with your bow first. I want you to hit the target on the shoulder first before you shoot the head," she pointed to the dummy they had hanging from the gate that had a wooden board behind it to catch the arrows.

Souta raised a brow, "Why not the head first?"

"Because it won't always be a Walker that might be after you," Kagome reminded him, "Hitting a person in the shoulder may not kill them, but it's a warning and a small mercy." The priestess wanted Souta and Sophia to survive but never at the price of sacrificing their humanity, "If they attack you after that, then you shoot for the kill."

Sophia nodded, glad that the priestess was allowing them to have the choice of showing kindness even if a person was bad. She took an arrow from Kagome's quiver and used the priestess bow to practice hitting her targets.

"Now Souta," Kagome stood next to her brother, "We're going to practice the move I taught you yesterday until it's a second nature response from you."

The young Higurashi took a small thick wooden stick which he used to replace his knife when practicing, "I'm ready."

Kagome nodded and lunged for her brother as if to grab him. Souta dodged to the side and tried to jab his sister in her side. The priestess countered by jabbing her elbow in the back of his head, not enough to hurt him but enough to subdue.

"Oww," Souta whined in response to the attack.

The priestess shook her head, "I keep telling you, until you grow a little taller, watch out for the elbows."

Souta nodded, "Sorry."

Souta and Sophia continued to grow as the months went by. Both have them grown a few inches since they first came to the prison. Plus Souta's voice began changing, much to his embarrassment. Sophia thought it was cute, until she started going through puberty as well.

"Don't be sorry. Be smart," Kagome told him, "Again," she ordered before lunging at her brother again.

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Two hours later, Kagome began helping Daryl load the car with supplies for the run. Just a few provisions and weapons just in case the group ran into a tight spot.

Zach was helping them as well. He suddenly stopped when he spotted Beth, who was bringing them some water to pack. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey," Beth greeted back politely.

Daryl shook his head and Kagome rolled her eyes. That poor kid obviously hadn't learned his lesson yet.

"So, Daryl pulled everyone back from the coal crew from going on the run," Zach explained to Beth. "They're shorthanded right now. So I volunteered. You know, trying to do my part."

It was very obvious that Zach was trying to impress Beth. It took all Daryl and Kagome had not to laugh at the boys attempts.

"Umm good for you," Beth replied to Zach trying to be polite, as she handed the water bottles to Kagome for her to pack in everyone's bag.

"I'm glad I got to see you before I left," Zach kept flirting, "You know, it's dangerous out there...I may not come back."

"Well let's hope you do," Shippo voiced as he went over and placed a possessive arm around Beth. His eyes went red at the pitiful human in front of him, "Otherwise I won't be able to skin your."

"Shippo," Kagome halted her son's obvious threat.

The fox demons eyes went back to normal, "He started it," he whined to his mother.

Daryl looked over to a nervous Zach, "You better hide in the truck," he suggested to the boy

"O-okay," Zach muttered before running away.

Beth scowled at the fox demon, "I told you to be nice."

"But he was moving in on my girl," Shippo whined.

Kagome shook her head, "You're girl, huh?" she said in mild amusement. "Don't you mean your mate," she corrected him, revealing that she knew their secret.

Both Shippo and Beth halted in their movements and blushed ten shades of red.

They had been caught.

"How-how did?" Beth began to ask.

"Blame Daryl. He taught me to be more...Observant," Kagome replied as went over to Beth and pulled a bit of her blouse to beside her shoulder. She gestured the slightly visible mark on Beth's neck that was shaped like a red fox head. "When did Shippo mark you?" the priestess asked her out of curiosity.

Shippo rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and answered for her, "A few nights ago...I told her what it meant and what could happen."

"I still wanted to," Beth interrupted him, not regretting the decision.

Daryl raised a brow in confusion. They mated? What does that mean? "So what? They married or somethin'?"

"Or something," Kagome answered, "Yes demons taking a mate is there way of marriage but it's a little more complex than that."

"How so?" the hunter asked still a little confused.

Shippo was the one to answer, "By making Beth my mate, she and I are connected now. We share the same life...Demons do this so we won't have to mourn over losing the one we love. Leaving this world to be together in the next, so we're never alone. It also gives us another reason to become stronger against our enemies. If one dies, so will the other...So it's not just our own life we're fighting for."

Kagome found the ritual of being a demon's mate romantic. However, she also knew about the burden it would be on a human. The priestess glanced over at Beth, "You knew this, and you were still okay with it?" She wasn't scolding the young blonde for making the decision, she just wanted to be sure that Beth fully understood its meaning.

Shippo was offering Beth a gift of a demon life span and a demon's love. Although it wasn't common knowledge in the Feudal Era, but when a demon chooses a mate, it was for life. The only way the bond could be altered is if the female had a child, so one mate could live and take care of the young. That only went away after the child reached a certain age, so the mates could continue to be linked.

Beth nodded as her answer without hesitation. When Shippo had explained what it meant to be his wife, his mate, she was speechless. Not because by accepting she'd been given a demon's life span, slowly aging like Shippo does. What made her happy was that Shippo openly admitted how much he loved her. That he wanted her to stay by his side, and couldn't bear the thought of losing her. "I love Shippo more than anything. I couldn't find a better man...A better demon to spend the rest of my life with."

Hearing Beth's confession made Kagome smile, "Well then. I guess this makes you my daughter-in law."

"Damn romance novel is what it is," Daryl muttered out loud. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he also thought that the whole thing between Beth and Shippo was a romantic one.

The priestess, demon and his mate laughed at the hunter's words.

As the rest of the people packed up the cars, the sound of the gate opening caught there attention.

Michonne rode in to the prison yard, and hopped off her horse. She was greeted by Rick and Carl before Daryl rode down to greet her on his bike. Kagome walked down to meet up with her as well.

"Welcome home," the priestess greeted the sword wilder.

"It's good to be back," Michonne replied before hugging the priestess, "How's Kilala?"

"The kids are spoiling her rotten with treats and belly rubs," Kagome admitted as she gestured to the other side of the field where the demon cat was playing with the younger children, "I think she likes being retired."

"After hundreds of years of service, who could blame her," Michonne joked, before frowning, "Still no sign of the Governor," she told them in regret.

Although Daryl and Rick had stopped looking for the Governor for now, since they were needed more at the prison, Michonne kept looking on her own.

"No sign of Sesshōmaru either?" Kagome couldn't help but ask.

Michonne shook her head, "Nothing. He could be on the other side of the country by now...But I'm thinking of looking over at Macon next." Daryl and Rick looked at each other at the name. "It's worth a shot," she stated.

"70 miles of Walkers," Daryl reminded her, "You might run into a few unneighborly types...Is it?"

Michonne shut her mouth, knowing she wasn't going to win this fight.

"We're on our way to the Big Spot," Daryl informed Rick, "Could use another person." Right when Kagome was about to open her mouth, the hunter held his finger up. "Not you. Not this time."

The priestess pouted, "You said you needed another person."

Rick nodded in understanding, "Yah, I got to go out and check the snares. I don't want to lose whatever we catch to the Walkers."

"I'll go," Michonne volunteered instead.

Carl frowned, "But you just got here."

Michonne smiled at the young Grimes. They both had grown close over these past few months. She was a good friend, and Carl didn't want to see her leave so soon. "And I'll be back," she smiled as she promised him before getting into the car.

Kagome sighed, feeling a little better now that Michonne was on the run with Daryl and the others. "Watch yourself out there," the priestess pleaded to him.

The hunter nodded, "Always am," he said.

Kagome leaned down and kissed him before heading up into the prison.

'He'll come back,' she told herself.

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"Your dad went off again?" Sophia asked Carl as they walked the yard with Souta and another kid who was a little older then them, named Patrick. The young Grimes often hung out with them whenever he got done with his chores.

"Yah," Carl answered tossing the soccer ball in his hand back and forth.

"Did he take a gun at least?" Souta asked, knowing that Rick having a gun was an issue. Kagome had explained to him that their former leader wanted to set an example for Carl and because he needed a break from being in charge. Souta agreed with the reasons, but he didn't want Rick to be caught off guard either.

Carl shrugged, "Don't know."

"I'm sure he's fine," Patrick voiced his thoughts, "He's your dad, ya know."

The group suddenly came across the younger who kids. Usually they'd find them playing with Kilala, who was with them. Except this time, they saw the kids were waving outside the gates.

At the Walkers.

"Hey Nick," one of the oldest of the girls greeted the Walker.

"That one's name is Wayne," one of them said, before they giggled.

Sophia raised a brow, "Are they naming the Walkers?"

"I think so," Souta said as they reached the kids.

Carl gave the look of disproval as he walked over to the younger kids completely disgusted, "You're naming them?"

A young blonde with a small braid in her hair, named Mika, nodded, "Well, one of them has a name tag, so we thought all of them should."

Carl shook his head in confusion, "They had names when they were alive. There dead now."

"No there not," Mika's sister, Lizzie, retorted, "They're just different."

Sophia shook her head, "No. Kilala is different. Shippo is different. Those Walkers," she pointed outside the fence, "They're dead."

"No they're not," Lizzie argued again.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Carl snapped, "Walkers, they don't talk. They don't think. They eat people. They kill people."

"People kill people. They still have names," Lizzie countered to him.

"That's a whole other argument entirely," Souta said folding his arms in anger.

Carl nodded, "Have you seen what happens? Have you seen someone die like that?"

Lizzie frowned, "Yeah, I have."

"They're not people, and they're not pets," Carl stated, "Don't name them."

Lizzie glared at the young Grimes before looking at the young kids, "We're supposed to go read. Come on," she said before gesturing for the kids to follow her to the prison library.

Mika lingered behind, "You coming to story time tonight, Patrick?"

The trio looked to Patrick with a raised brow.

"Uh, yeah," he answered Mika in embarrassment. The little girl smiled and ran off to meet her sister.

"Story time?" Souta asked the older kid.

"I go sometimes," Patrick stated, "I'm immature."

"Really?" Sophia asked in a sarcastic tone.

Patrick's face went a little pink. "You guys wouldn't dig it. It's for kids."

"We like stories," Sophia corrected him, "We just like Kagome's more."

Patrick nodded, "I like hers too. But I'm gonna head up there too. See y'all around."

The trio looked at each other after Patrick went off.

The situation would have made them laugh if Lizzie's accusations didn't freak them out.

"Lizzie scares me," Sophia admitted to her friends.

Souta nodded, "Mika's okay. But Lizzie isn't right in the head."

Carl shrugged, "She's weird, but still harmless. Anyway, ready to play?"

"Oh you're going down Grimes," Souta taunted as he went to the other side of the field.

Sophia took her place to be referee, "First one to score three goals wins. Loser has to clean out the horse stalls tonight."

The boys nodded to the terms before playing.

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"Hey Kagome," Maggie called out to the priestess as she tended to the herb garden in the yard early in the afternoon.

Kagome was kneeled down the ground, picking the last of the weeds, "Hey Maggie," she greeted, "How are you?" The priestess figured her friend wasn't feeling well if she didn't go on the run to the Big Spot with the others.

Maggie walked over and sat next to her friend, "I'm okay, but...Umm, do you mind if I ask you something?"

The priestess leaned back from the garden to give her friend her full attention, "Of course."

It took Maggie a moment to phrase her question, "Do you know anything about making a home pregnancy tests?"

Kagome's mouth dropped and her eye's widened in shock, "You-you think you're?"

Maggie nodded yes before she finished. "It may be because of stress over the last few months. But I need to be sure."

The priestess nodded in understanding, "You don't want to talk to your dad or sister?"

"I'd rather be sure before mentioning anything," Maggie explained, "I told Glenn my suspicions, which is why he made me stay."

"That was a smart move," Kagome admitted, "Well, there are a few methods that I know of, but I've never made them before so I don't know how accurate they'd be." Maggie looked down in disappointment. "But luckily for you, we have another way," Kagome assured her.

Before the brunette could ask, the priestess whistled for a faithful companion to arrive next to them.

Kilala, in her small form, ran up to her friend eagerly and landed on the priestess's lap.

"We need a favor from you, Kilala," Kagome greeted her friend by petting her head and ears. The cat demon sat and stared at her companion with interest. "Can you tell if an early mother is expecting a baby or not?" Kilala meowed before giving a nod as her answer. "Good. Would you mind checking Maggie to see if she's pregnant?"

Kilala looked to the brunette and carefully jumped into her lap. She rubbed her body against the farmer's eldest daughter, using her ears, nose, and demonic senses to feel any sign of another life being created in Maggie's body.

Maggie couldn't help but smile and pet the demon cat tenderly.

When Kilala was finished she looked up at the brunette and shook her head.

Maggie wasn't pregnant.

"There you have it," Kagome said before picking a small piece of catnip from her garden and gave it to Maggie to give to Kilala. The demon cat purred at the sweet smell of the plant, making Maggie giggle a little. "Do you feel better?" she asked her friend.

"Yes," the brunette answered as she played with Kilala with a small frown, "And...No."

Kagome looked at her friend in sympathy, "Well, for what it's worth, I think you'd be a great mother."

"Thanks," Maggie said in appreciation, "You don't think it's too dangerous to start having babies?"

"Well, we're safer here than most other places we've been," Kagome pointed out, "It's not ideal but it works. And what's the point of surviving if we don't live our lives to the fullest."

Maggie nodded in agreement, "Glenn doesn't see it that way."

"He's your husband, he's going to worry no matter what," the priestess pointed out.

"But it's a little overbearing," the brunette admitted.

"That too," Kagome pointed out making both of them laugh.

Maggie finally gave the cat nip to Kilala and moved her the ground so she could roll around. "You think you and Daryl will get married someday?"

Kagome shrugged, "I have no idea," she answered honestly. The priestess didn't think that Daryl evened considered such a thing. He was faithful to her, which was good enough for Kagome. "He hasn't even told me he loves me yet."

Maggie's eyes widened, "Ever?" The priestess shook her head. "Why though?"

"I don't know," said Kagome, "I mean, I've told him I loved him, which I've never told a guy before. And I know Daryl does things to show how much I mean to him. I feel that he cares...But I want to hear it too."

"That's understandable," the brunette agreed.

"Maybe he's too nervous," Kagome guessed, unsure of any other reason.

"Daryl?" Maggie questioned sarcastically, "Daryl Dixon? Nervous about something?"

Kagome scowled at her friend, "Watch it," she said in warning.

The brunette snickered, "Well, maybe he is...As long as you're both happy, right?"

The priestess nodded, knowing that was more important. They were both happy with each other. She shouldn't ruin something because of her insecurity, "Right."

"I'm not interrupting am I?" Rick asked the women as he walked over to the garden.

"Not at all," Kagome told him.

Maggie mouthed a quick thank you to the priestess before taking Kilala and walking back inside.

Rick lowered down to Maggie's former spot and looked at the garden, "How's it coming?"

"Good," Kagome told him, "Everything's coming in great. I just hope we can find some sararosaki in the area." Rick raised a brow at the name. "It's an herb that reduces swelling," she quickly explained.

"Ah," Rick replied as he looked at the garden then out into the woods beyond the fence.

The priestess noticed this right away, "Rick...Did something happen?"

The former leader nodded, "I was checking traps when I ran into someone...A woman," he began to explain. This woman was asking for his help to bring a dead animal to her husband. Rick gave her food and offered to help her and her husband. The woman agreed and took him to her camp.

But it was a trick.

The woman had been feeding her dead husband's Walker head, at the expense of herself. When she failed trying to kill Rick, she ended up killing herself in grief.

"My Kami," Kagome said in the awfulness.

Rick lowered his head, "I tried to help her."

"I know you did," the priestess put her hand on his shoulder, "But if they don't want to be helped, there's nothing we can do about it...We may not like it, but it's true."

Rick reached over and put his hand on top of hers and Kagome leaned over and kissed his forehead.

From a distance their actions looked like a romantic gesture between a couple, but in reality it was a friend trying to comfort another.

But for the pair of eyes observing the two from a distance, it looked too much like the first.

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It wasn't until later that evening that the group returned to the run.

Daryl was miserable as he came into his room.

Kagome was already inside, writing in her notebook on the couch. She looked up when the hunter entered, obviously upset.

The priestess had seen that look on his face so many times before that she didn't have to ask what was wrong.

They had lost someone.

"Who?" Kagome asked as she dropped the notebook and got up to stand in front of him.

"Zach," he answered quietly.

The priestess frowned, 'And we just talked to him today.' Zach was so young and still had a whole lot of living to do. Kagome walked into Daryl and embraced him, knowing that he was blaming himself. "You did what you could," she reminded him.

The hunter placed his chin on top of her head, "How do you know?"

"Because I know you," Kagome answered moving her head to look up at him, "You did everything you could to save him...And it wasn't your fault that he's gone."

Daryl lifted his head enough to place his lips on top of Kagome's head, tenderly kissing her there. Deep down, he knew that his Baby Girl was right. There wasn't much he could have done for Zach, not with how fast everything happened at the Big Spot. 'It's not like we knew there were Walkers on top of the building with a roof that was rotting.'

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kagome asked him.

"Nah," Daryl answered, "Let's just...sit for a while."

The priestess nodded, as she pulled back from there hug and led Daryl to their bed. The hunter laid down on his back, with Kagome curled up at his side as her head rested on his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

It was a comfortable position for both of them, even when Kagome had to cough into her arm a few times. It wasn't long until priestess's breathing became steady, a sign that she'd fallen asleep.

Daryl moved his head to glance down at her face. Even during a zombie apocalypse, Kagome was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He leaned down to kiss her forehead sweetly, "I love you," he whispered to her sleeping form.

The hunter told her this every night since their reunion in the library.

One day, he'd tell her when she was awake.

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Patrick was sweating for hours and had been nauseas all afternoon.

He didn't know what happened. He'd been fine when he hung out with Carl, Souta, and Sophia. Patrick didn't know how he could have gotten sick so quickly. He should have talking to Dr. S or even Kagome to help him, but he thought it would pass.

'Boy was I wrong,' he thought as he walked down the hall of the prison to the shower.

Maybe some cold water will help him.

After turning on the shower, Patrick stood under the stream.

The water didn't do much.

'I need to get to Dr. S,' Patrick thought in a panic.

Before he could take another step, Patrick slipped on the tile and hit his head hard.

The pump of the water finally stopped, the water mixed with blood from Patrick's head wound slowly swirled down the drain.

He laid there motionlessly for most of the night.

Suddenly, Patrick's cold Walker eyes opened.

 **Dun dun duddn. Well so much for things being peaceful. Am I the only one he wants these people to catch a darn break. Anyway, what do you think? Next time: The sickness spreads and couples woe.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	24. Plague of Death

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Author's Note: I just want to take a second to reflect on this moment. As of this chapter, this will officially be the longest fic I've ever written to date and I'm still not even close to finishing it yet. Heck this is still only season four...Wow, I've come a long way since my first fic. *insert me reading His Beloved Blue Eyes* Yikes that was rough to look at. I desperately need to do some re-editing. Anyway, thank you guys so much for sticking with me this long. You have no idea how much of an awesome feeling that is...Oh wait, a majority of you are writers, which means you do. Lol. But as a reward, I'm posting this chapter a day early.**

 **I want to give a shout out to:** **LightningThief47,** **,** **GreenHoneyTea,** **NicoleR85,** **Tsukikageshi,** **Mari Cherie,** **MOONWOLF1234,** **yachiru-chan92,** **Elfy Lolita,** **darkangel0212,** **GiggleboxGirlie,** **Celestial Law,** **Spastic Freak, and all Guests for your amazing reviews. And a huge thank you to:** **Narakusmiko2, kyokoren1023,** **Satu82,** **Lilikchan,** **chronoangel94,** **Gat82328,** **pez304, Zoie10135,** **myersbrent35, DJMirnum, Panjandrumheart, tukystu, noomie-chan, Jade Celandine, Croonsgirl, and Altiria-Aty for your support.**

Disclaimer: I don't anything from any show, comic or anime. At all...Not even a little. So no suing.

Chapter Twenty Four: Plague of Death

It all happened quickly as the sun slowly rised into the sky.

One minute, people in the cellblocks were sleeping peacefully.

The next, there was gunfire and screaming coming from D Block.

Daryl and Kagome immediately shot up from bed, quickly dressed, and ran to the source of the sound of screams and panic.

Carl, Souta and Sophia were already outside of C Block doing there chores for the day when they heard the comotion.

"What's going on?" Sophia asked everyone.

Suddenly, Mika and Lizzie ran out of D Block screaming for help. Kilala was with them, in her full demon form, backing away from the D Block entrance while snarling at what was inside.

"What happened?" Carol asked the girls as they ran to her.

"There's Walkers in the cellblock," Mika cried out in a whimper.

Glenn cursed under his breath, "Walker's in D!" he yelled to Rick, who was coming from the courtyard. Daryl, Kagome, Sasha, and Tyreese were all armed as they tried to get to D Block.

"What about C!?" Rick asked as he ran through the gate.

"It's clear," Sasha answered him, "We locked the gates to the tomb."

"Everyone's accounted for," Kagome informed him, having counted the souls in the building before leaving. "Shippo's on guard just in case." The priestess turned to Sophia and Souta, "You two stay out here and protect the others," she ordered while gesturing to Lizzie and Mika.

They both nodded, accepting the directions without question.

Kilala transformed and flew into the sky. It was her job to check to see if any Walkers had snuck inside the prison somehow.

"It ain't a breach," Daryl told Rick as they all began running to D Block.

"We followed the plan," Sasha finished the report.

As they ran, Kagome was contemplating on how this all happened so fast.

How did Walkers get inside the cellblocks?

The gates were still up and the doors to the tombs were locked.

How could this happen?

The very instant the doors to the cellblock opened, the sounds of screaming pierced everyone's ear.

The people guns were trying to kill Walkers, as the undead try to eat the weak and defenseless.

"Come on!" Kagome urged the defenseless people to come to her side. Carol and Glenn kept directing people over to the priestess. A lot of the woman and children managed to get to her, while others remained on the ground already bitten or dead. The priestess placed a barrier around herself and the others around her. "Stay together behind me," she told the others.

Meanwhile, Rick and Daryl began executing all Walkers in the cellblock.

Once the others were clear, Carol took one of the injured civilians into his cellblock to prevent the infection from spreading by amputating above the bite. Unfortunately, there was also a bite on his neck, making it impossible to save Mika and Lizzie's father.

It took a little while, but all the Walkers were dead, "Are we clear?" Rick asked Daryl who was up on the perch.

Kagome couldn't help but look up as her hunter searched all the cells. Rick and Glenn went up as well just in case. One Walker managed to sneak up on Glenn, but Daryl managed to shoot it with his crossbow before it could feast on another victim. "Is it safe?" the priestess called up to them while the people in her barrier were whimpering in fear.

The hunter sighed in both relief and regret, "That's all of them." He took a look at the Walker that almost got Glenn.

Patrick.

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When things were settled, the civilians moved outside or into C Block while the members of the council, Dr. S and a few more remained behind to take care of the bodies. Whenever a body was identified, they would bring in a friend or loved one so they could have a proper good bye.

There were still a few victims who didn't return as Walker's yet.

Kagome prayed for every soul that was lost in this dreadful morning before she helped Rick, Glenn, and Daryl check every single cell for any bodies. Everyone was quiet as they went through every cell, having to stab every dead body in the brain. The priestess began to heavily sweat as she worked on stabbing the dead peoples brains and saying a prayer for their souls.

"You okay?" Daryl asked his Baby Girl, noticing her sweat.

"I'm fine," the priestess assured him with a smile.

As the couple and the rest of the group walked down to the last corner cell, they found something strange.

The cell door was closed with a Walker was trapped inside. The oddest part of it all was that there was blood streaming from the Walker's eyes. Something that had never been seen by anyone in the group.

Rick took care of the Walker, while Glenn brought Dr. S and Hershel to examine the Walker body. Daryl, Kagome and Bob, a civilian with medical training, waited outside the cell to listen as the three men talked.

"No bites. No wounds...I think he just died," Rick informed them as he kneeled at the body, checking the dead Walker body.

"Horribly, too," Dr. S agreed, figuring out what happened by the signs on Patrick's face, "Pleurisy aspiration."

Hershel shook his head, "Choked to death on his own blood," he translated to everyone who didn't know the term. "It caused those trails down his face," he gestured to the blood down the young man's face.

A tear fell down Kagome's face as she muffled a small cough behind her hand. Dr. S looked over at the priestess for a moment with a raised brow before looking at the Walker body again.

"I've seen it before," Rick informed them, "On a Walker outside the fences."

"I saw them on Patrick too," Daryl stated.

Dr. S nodded, "They're from the internal lung pressure building up. Like if you shake a soda can and pop the top. Only imagine your eyes, ears, nose and throat are the top."

"My Kami," Kagome muttered as she covered her mouth in horror. When it was described that way, it made dying sound much worse than having a Walker bite. 'At least that one you can see coming. This is just...agonizing.'

Bob folded his arms, "It's a sickness form the Walkers?"

Dr. S shook his head, "No, these things happened before they were around...Could be pneumococcal. Mostly likely an aggressive flu strain."

Hershel sighed, "Well, it looks like someone locked him in just in time."

Kagome shook her head at the old veterinarian, "No one locked him in. He did that himself."

"Charlie used to sleepwalk," Daryl finished for her, "Hell, he was just eating barbecue yesterday."

The priestess nodded, remembering how she talked and sat with Charlie during lunch time yesterday. 'He was such a sweet boy,' she thought sadly.

"How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?" Daryl asked in confusion, never seeing or hearing about anything like this before.

"I had a sick pig. It died quick," Rick informed the others referring to Violet the pig, "Saw a sick boar in the woods too."

"Pigs and birds," Hershel nodded, "That's how these things spread in the past...We need to do something about those hogs"

Kagome thought over the times she'd seen people getting sick in Kaede's village, "Living in tight spaces like this is just going to make this epidemic worse."

"Maybe we got lucky," Bob suggested, "Maybe these two cases are it."

"I'm afraid it could already be too late," Dr. S said in regret as he stood up and walked over to Kagome with a serious expression. "How long have you had that cough?" he asked her straight out.

The priestess breath caught in her throat, "...Since last night."

Dr. S placed his hand on her sweaty forehead and sighed at what he found, "You're starting to get a fever."

Daryl's eyes widened in fear.

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Meanwhile, Carol, Sophia, and Souta brought Lizzie and Mika to see their father one last time. Souta and Sophia watched over the girls just as promised during all the chaos, and felt that they should be there to help the girls through this.

Mika immediately began to cry while Lizzie merely stared at her father and held his dying hand.

"Take care of your sister," the man told his oldest daughter before his grip went limp.

"Dad?" Lizzie called out to her father, waiting for him to wake up.

Carol took out her knife, knowing that it was time. "Don't let them watch," she told Sophia. Her daughter nodded as she pulled Mika away from her father. Lizzie remained where she was, obviously not wanting to leave his side.

"Come on," Souta urged her as he tried to drag Lizzie away from her father's body.

Instead, Lizzie stopped Carol's movements and looked over to Mika, "We should be the ones."

Carol looked at the oldest sibling with pride. She'd been prepping these children to deal with situations like this and was glad that Lizzie was stepping up.

Mika shrunk into Sophia's embrace in comfort, "No...I can't."

Sophia shook her head, "Mama they're not ready for this."

"They have to be," Carol told her.

"But it's their father," Souta said in horror.

"All the more reason," Carol replied so coldly that it might have made Sesshōmaru proud.

Lizzie took the knife from Carol and walked over to her father. The very moment she moved his head, Lizzie began to have a panic attack.

She couldn't do it.

She couldn't kill him knowing that he was going to come back.

He may be different, but it still would have been her father.

Lizzie dropped the knife and backed away, unable to do the task.

Carol brought the girl into a hug and told her it was okay, before gesturing for Souta to take her.

Mika immediately walked out of Sophia's hold and grabbed her sister's hand, "Lizzie. Lizzie look at the flowers," she reminded her sister. It was a trick her mother taught her in order to help Lizzie with her panic attacks, so Kagome helped her grow some flowers to keep in their cell.

Souta helped turn Lizzie around to look at the flowers that were placed in the room.

"Look, look," Mika gestured to the flowers that were in the counter of their cell, "Count with me. One, two, three. Okay." Lizzie nodded, as she tried to count out loud listening to what her sister said. Souta and Sophia tried to block their view of Carol stabbing their father in the brain.

But Lizzie still saw it all.

"Daddy! No!" Lizzie cried out at the scene.

Souta and Sophia went back and hugged both girls as they cried.

Carol let out a frustrated sigh over the whole situation. Lizzie and Mika were weak. And if they were going to survive in this world, she needed to help them change that.

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Daryl wanted to stay by Kagome's side, but Dr. S kept telling him that it wouldn't be a good idea. Rick and Hershel tried to convince the hunter that there wasn't any reason for him to get sick along with the wasn't until Kagome told him that he needed to help the others find a way for her to get better that he finally agreed to leave.

Daryl hated the idea of being separated from Kagome, but he knew that she'd never forgive herself if she got anyone else sick too.

So the priestess stayed in D Block, while the hunter went to have a council meeting with Glenn, Sasha, Hershel, and Carol.

But before they left, Daryl begged Rick and Hershel not to tell the others about her condition, which they hesitantly agreed since they knew that the last thing Kagome wanted was for everyone to worry about her.

However, Daryl did tell Souta and Shippo about her being sick because he knew there'd be no fooling them. As expected, they both wanted to go and check on the priestess, but the hunter stood his ground and told them no. Souta was the most reluctant to agree while Shippo kept swearing in Japanese under his breath, knowing how serious the situation had become.

As far as everyone else knew, Kagome was helping the other's grieve over their losses in D Block, which was why she wasn't at the meeting now.

"We'll have to separate everyone that's been exposed," Carol stated to the others. She feared what would happen to everyone here if this thing spread any further.

The hunter's fist clenched, "That's everyone in that cellblock...That's all of us...Maybe more."

Hershel looked at Daryl with sympathy, knowing he was thinking about Kagome. But they needed to focus, "We know that this sickness can be lethal. We don't know how easily it spreads...Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of?"

"We can't just wait and see," Carol told them, "There's children. It isn't just an illness. When people die, they become threats."

Daryl couldn't help but glare at the older woman for saying that. He briefly wondered if she'd be singing a different tune if she knew that Kagome was already sick. Or if it was Sophia who had caught this flu strain.

Unfortunately, Hershel did see Carol's point, "We need a place for them to go. They can't stay in D Block. We can't risk going in there to clean it up."

"We can use A Block," Carol suggested.

"Death Row?" Glenn voiced his disproval, "I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade."

"It's clean, that's an upgrade" Daryl said, trying to see the positive side of the situation. He didn't want Kagome surrounded by the massacre in D Block anymore. "Think that'll work for Dr. S?"

Hershel nodded, "I'll help get it set up."

The sounds of coughing in the halls made everyone's hair stand on end.

Karen was coughing as she walked with Tyreese down the hallway.

They had to tell the couple what was going on. How a sickness killed Patrick and how it can affect the others. Tyreese thought that knowing what caused Patrick's death could help, but until they knew for sure, Karen had to be separated from everyone. That's when Karen informed them that a man named David's been coughing a lot too. Glenn went to get him while Sasha led Karen and Tyreese to a few clean cells in the tomb.

"I'll uhh, get to buryin' the dead ones," Daryl informed Hershel and Carol.

The old veterinarian knew that the hunter was trying to stay busy to keep his mind off Kagome. "Be sure to wear a mask and gloves," he advised before walking away.

Carol remained leaning against the wall, contemplating about the situation.

"You alright?" Daryl asked her.

She shook her head before answering, "I'm worried about Sophia and the rest of the kids...They were around Patrick too."

"We all were," the hunter reminded her, "But...We're gonna separate the sick till they feel better."

Carol nodded, knowing that it was the best solution. "Hey, where's Kagome? She should have been here," she asked, realizing that the priestess was missing.

"She's with Dr. S," Daryl answered, not exactly lying to her but leaving out why she was with him.

The woman tilted her head suspiciously, "Are you sure she's not out with Rick?"

Daryl raised a brow, wondering why she would bring that up, "What do you mean?"

Carol let out sigh, "Yesterday...I saw them together by the garden. They looked...closer than usual."

Normally the hunter would have been affected by this, but he couldn't let his jealousy get the better of him.

Not now.

Not when Kagome and everyone else needed him most.

"It's nothin'," the hunter told her as he tried to walk away, wanting to keep his emotions in check.

"I'm just telling you what I saw, because you deserve to know. You're my friend Daryl. I don't want you to get hurt...I don't want her to hurt you," Carol called out to him.

"I said it's nothin'!" Daryl snapped at her as he walked around the corner.

Daryl trusted Kagome

He trusted Rick.

Whatever Carol saw couldn't true.

'Don't doubt Kagome,' Daryl told himself as he buried the dead.

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Kagome hated whenever she got sick before the world had changed.

But this was much worse.

She felt so helpless and tired.

Her coughing fits were much more noticeable now and her sweating was a bit more severe.

Dr. S looked her over and fully confirmed that she was infected with what happened to Patrick and Charlie.

The priestess tried to stay away from the others in D Block by taking the cell next to Charlie's room. At first she paced around the cell, until she finally sat down on the bed.

Her mind couldn't help but think of the people outside the prison cellblock.

We're they all safe?

Was anyone else getting sick?

'Kami please,' Kagome began to pray, 'Please don't let this get any worse...Please...Keep my family safe'

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Meanwhile in C Block, Carl, Souta, and Sophia were making crosses for the people that died in D Block in the old eating area.

"Hey was Patrick Catholic?" Carl asked his friends.

Sophia shrugged, "I didn't ask."

"Who would think to ask that?" Souta wondered out loud.

"He said he was a practicing Atheist," Carol answered, as she coming down the stairs to see them.

Sophia smiled at her mother, glad that she was doing better after that whole thing with Mika and Lizzie. She was proud that her mother agreed to take care of them as their father was dying. The old Carol wouldn't have even dared to do something like that.

But Carol had other things on her mind, "Did you tell your dad what you saw in the library yesterday?" she asked Carl.

The young Grimes saw Carol showing the children how to handle weapons when they were supposed to have story time.

"Nope," he answered uncomfortably.

Souta blinked, "You mean the lessons you give the kids?"

Carl stopped working, "You guys knew about this."

Sophia nodded, "We're learning to defend ourselves. It's kind of stupid that the parents won't let the other kids learn too."

Carol smiled at her daughter, "She's right...I have to keep teaching those kids to survive."

"So the parents don't know," Carl realized what dangerous ground they were treading.

"No," Carol answered.

Carl went back to making crosses, "Are you going to tell them?"

"Maybe," she replied honestly, "Maybe after all this they'll understand, but I can't take that risk."

"The grownups aren't always going to be around to help," Souta reminded his friend, "With them gone, who's going to look after the kids."

Carl paused again, he did see Carol's side. However, "I don't want to lie to my dad."

"I'm not asking you to lie," Carol told him, "I'm asking you not to say anything."

Carl didn't acknowledge what she said, he only continued to make crosses.

Carol sighed, not knowing what else to say about the matter. Luckily there was another issue she wanted to bring up. It was what she saw when she talked to Lizzie outside near the fences. The ones with dead Walker's laying on the ground. Lizzie got really upset when she noticed one in particular was gone.

"Do any of you know why Lizzie was so attached to that Walker outside the fence? The one she called Nick," she suddenly asked, making all the kids pause in their work.

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Daryl went back to his room after it started to get dark.

It had been one disastrous day.

On top of the attack this morning and Kagome being sick, the gun shots that were fired drew more Walkers to the prison. Too many of them were up against the fences and it began to bend almost give way. Kilala and Shippo had transformed to their demon forms in order to draw the Walkers away. A lot of them did, but too many still stayed. He and Rick had to sacrifice the pigs in order to draw out the rest.

'Had to get rid of 'em anyway,' Daryl remembered Dr S. and Hershel's words.

The hunter laid down in bed, noticing how empty the room was without Kagome with him.

He hated it.

Subconsciously, his arm reached over to Kagome's side of the bed. That's when his hand brushed over something mixed with the blankets. Daryl leaned over to see what it was, and was surprised at what he found.

It was Kagome's necklace.

The hollow remains of the Shikon Jewel.

It must have fallen off of her this morning without her even realize it.

Daryl laid on his back with the necklace in his hand, staring at it intently.

'Kagome,' he thought sadly.

Praying for the first time in a long time that she'd be okay.

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The next morning started just as bad as the last.

Tyreese ran to Rick and told him that Karen and David had been murdered.

Someone had stabbed them in the head and burned their bodies.

Rick, Daryl, and Carol came to observe the area. Shippo came to, trying see if he smell or sense anything unusual.

"Well?" Rick asked the fox demon.

Shippo cursed under his breath, "The gasoline and burnt flesh are masking the smell of whoever did this."

"Damn it," Rick swore out loud before looking to a distraught Tyreese, "You said you found them like this?"

Tyreese nodded, "I came to see Karen...and I saw the blood on the floor...Then I smelled them...Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire!" The more Tyreese talked the more enraged he became, "They killed them and set them on fire!"

Tyreese got into Rick's face, Daryl stood behind the man to make sure he did nothing stupid.

"You're a cop," he reminded Rick, "You find out who did this, and you bring 'em to me. You understand? You bring 'em to me!"

Rick tried to calm him down, "I know what you're feeling. I've been there. You saw me there," he reminded him of how he acted when he lost Lori, "It's dangerous."

"Karen didn't deserve this!" Tyreese yelled, not caring what Rick had to say.

"No," Rick agreed.

"David didn't deserve it! Nobody does!" Tyreese continued his ranting.

Daryl grabbed Tyreese's arm, "Alright man, let's just."

Tyreese shoved the hunter's arm off, and rammed him into the wall, "Man I ain't going nowhere till I find out who did this!"

Shippo was about to grab Tyreese off of Daryl, but the hunter signaled for the fox to back off.

"We're on the same side, man," Daryl reminded him.

Rick nodded, "Look man, I know what you're going through...We've all lost someone. We know what you're going through right now, but you've got to calm down."

Tyreese removed his attention from Daryl, and shoved Rick away, "You need to back the hell up!"

"Look, Karen wouldn't want you to be this way," Rick continued.

That made Tyreese snap and punch the former leader right in the jaw. Carol screamed for the man to stop while Shippo went behind Tyreese and locked both his arms behind the man's back. Tyreese struggled in the demon's grip but Shippo was much stronger.

"Calm down man," Daryl urged Tyreese.

Everyone was so focused on the grieving man that they didn't notice Rick's rage until he punched Tyreese in the jaw.

Shippo lost his grip and released Tyreese, allowing Rick to continue hitting Tyreese in the face. Now Shippo and Daryl had to force Rick to calm down, by pulling him off of Tyreese and pinning him against the wall. Carol could only watch the whole scene in horror.

'This wasn't supposed to happen,' she thought to herself as she watched a wounded Tyreese sobbing in grief on the ground.

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Meanwhile in A Block, Kagome was helping Dr. S with the sick people of their group.

It was a miracle that the virus didn't kill Kagome as fast as it infected the rest of the sick. Dr. S explained that a virus reacts to everyone differently, so she may not get the extreme symptoms as quickly as the others.

It was actually a good thing Kagome hadn't been as sick as the others yet.

Too many people needed help.

And A Block was a terribly place to be when you knew you could be dying.

The only sounds that could be heard were people moaning in pain and uncontrollable coughing.

It all felt so morbid.

Kagome had just finished looking in on a young woman named Sara when she saw the door to the cellblock open.

It was Sasha who came in and was barely able to walk into the room.

She was infected with the flu.

"Sasha," the priestess said as she walked over to the woman to help her before she collapsed to the floor. "Come on," Kagome encouraged the woman, "Let's get you to Dr. S."

As the two women walked down the hall of cells, they saw so many people in pain. Some of them had uncountable shakes while others were coughing up blood.

They were so distracted that they didn't see one of the people had turned into Walker in one of the cells.

Lucky for the two of them, the cell door was closed and only caused the women to jump in surprise when they heard the Walker snarling.

"Damn it," Kagome swore as she helped Sasha lean against the wall, took out her knife and killed the Walker.

"We need to tell the others," Dr. S. said to the women as he began to stumble out one of the cells and leaned against the stair well. He was now infected with the virus, "It's starting."

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Daryl was tapping his foot nervously as the council meeting began.

"It's spread," Hershel informed the others what Kagome and Dr. S told him, "Everyone who survived the attack in Block D. Sasha, Dr. S, and now others."

"How's Kagome holding up?" Glenn couldn't help but ask, since Hershel had to finally tell them that the priestess had been sick this whole time.

"She's a strong willed woman," Hershel assured him, "Trying to take over for Dr. S for as long as she can."

Daryl nodded, relieved that his Baby Girl was helping others. 'She's a warrior. She won't go down without a fight and will help others all she can.'

"So what do we do?" Carol asked the council.

Hershel told them that Block A was now in isolation. No one healthy goes in or out. As he talked, Glenn began to feel a little light headed.

"We try to keep them contained like we did with Karen and David," Hershel finished.

Daryl's breath caught in his throat. He didn't even want to think about there being a killer amongst them. And what's worse, they killed the sick. 'If they had known about Kagome,' the hunter thought briefly before shaking his head of the idea. "What are we gonna do about that?"

"Ask Rick to look into it," Carol suggested, "Try to make a timeline, who was where and when. But more importantly, what are we gonna do to stop this?"

"There is no stopping it," Hershel said in regret, "You get it, you have to go through it."

Michonne and Shippo had walked into the room the moment Hershel started speaking. "So it just kills you?" the sword wielder asked in confusion.

"The illness doesn't," Hershel corrected, "The symptoms do."

"Is there any way to relieve the symptoms?" Shippo asked the veterinarian, worried about his mother.

Hershel nodded, "We need antibiotics."

Daryl swore, "Shit we've been through every pharmacy nearby. And then some."

Shippo growled, "There has to be something."

Hershel thought it over and came up with a possible idea, "That veterinary college at West Peachtree Tech, that's one place people may not have thought to raid for medication. The drugs for animals there are the same ones we need."

"That's fifty miles away," Daryl voiced, "Best not waste any more time."

"I'm in," Michonne volunteered.

Hershel shook his head, "Daryl's already been exposed. If you're in a car with him, which could be it for you."

Michonne shrugged, "He's already given me fleas."

"I knew it," Shippo accused the hunter sarcastically.

"Watch it, Pony Tail," Daryl scowled at the fox demon.

A few people laughed before Hershel spoke, "I'll go too. I know what we need and where everything is."

The three people looked at one another to the old man.

"Every time we're out there, it's always the same," Daryl spoke, "Sooner or later we run."

Hershel frowned, cursing his missing leg. The prosthetic leg they found for him had once been a God send, and yet it still feels like a curse for this world. "I can draw y'all a map."

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Twenty minutes later, Daryl stood outside of the visiting room that resided next to A Block. The room had a big glass window that linked to the inside of Block A, most likely for visitor's safety.

He only had to wait a few moments before Kagome came in the room on the other side of the glass. She had sensed him when he arrived and knew he wanted to see her.

The hunter frowned when he saw how pale and weak Kagome had become. She may have been fighting the virus, but she was still getting worse.

And yet, she still smiled when she saw him, "Hey."

"Hey," Daryl replied just as weakly from the other side of the wall. Kagome walked over to the window, looking him over to make sure he wasn't infected. "I'm fine," he told her, unsurprised that she'd be worried about him more than herself.

"You better be," the priestess weakly threatened.

Daryl would have smiled if Kagome didn't cough into her arm after she spoke. Instead he told her about the plan to find some antibiotics to help her and everyone who caught the virus. He also told her how they quarantined the children to keep them safe. Carl, Sophia, Souta, and the other kids would be in separate rooms in the administration offices, while Beth stayed in another to take care of Judith.

"Fifty miles is a long way," the priestess stated with worry.

"We'll make it," the hunter promised, "You just have to stay strong 'till I get back."

The priestess nodded, "I'll try."

"You better," Daryl weakly threatened as he placed his hand on the glass.

Kagome placed her hand on the glass as well, trying to touch him in some way. "Promise me you'll be careful...That you'll come back to me."

"Always," he told her softly. Daryl didn't want to waste any more time, since he needed to help save her. But he couldn't leave without telling her one more thing, "Baby Girl I...I love you."

The priestess eyes widened, "Yo-you do?"

Daryl nodded, "I say it every night when you're asleep...To chicken shit to say it when you're awake."

"So you say it when I can do anything about it," Kagome pouted slightly, "You don't fight fair."

Daryl finally did smile, "Never said I did, Baby Girl."

Kagome leaned her forehead on the glass, Daryl did the same before she spoke again, "I love you, my Tenshi."

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It wouldn't be long until Shippo and the group left to get the antibiotics. But before he left, the fox demon needed to see his mate. He walked down the halls of the administration's office that was being guarded by Carl and a full formed Kilala.

The fox demon couldn't go into the room, by Hershel's orders, but that didn't mean he couldn't talk to her outside the door.

"Beth," he called to her.

"Shippo," Beth replied back to him from the other side, "You need to be quiet. Judith's asleep."

"I know. I can hear light snoring," the fox demon reminded her, before he explained everything.

Beth nodded when he finished, "You're going with Daryl and the others?"

"Yah," he told her, feeling very awkward talking to a door.

"I wish I could go with you," she admitted in regret.

Shippo smirked, "I know you do. But like your father always says, 'we all have jobs to do'. You got to make sure Judith and the children are safe. It's something only you can do."

Beth smiled at his praise. He always did know what to say to make her feel like she's contributing something to this group. It seemed like all she did was take care of Judith, but Shippo told her that she's giving Judith something very precious.

A mother's love.

Since Lori was gone, Beth was the closest thing Judith has to a mother.

Judith needed that now more than ever.

"Watch yourself out there," Beth pleaded to her mate.

Instead of answering her, Shippo used his demonic powers to manipulate the mark on Beth's neck. A small shiver went up her spine when she felt his presence around her. "Do you feel that, Beth? That's me showing my feelings for you through our mark...Even when I'm far away, we'll always be connected...You don't have to worry about me being gone, okay?"

Beth blushed and smiled at her mate's words of comfort, "Okay."

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Meanwhile, after Souta and Sophia just got settled into their own separate offices, which were conveniently right next to each other.

"Have you seen your sister?" Sophia asked through the wall.

Souta pressed his back against the wall and slid to the ground, "No…They wouldn't let me."

Sophia could hear how worried he was, and leaned her shoulder and the side of her head against the wall. "She'll be fine."

"I know," Souta replied, "We didn't go through all this just to have one us die from a stupid flu."

Sophia smiled at that, "Come hell or high water, right?"

"Right," Souta agreed weakly as he let out an exasperated sigh, before asking his next question, "Did you hear about what happened to Karen and David?"

Sophia frowned and didn't answer for almost a full minute, "Yes."

The way she answered made Souta's suspicions about what happened come full circle, "Did she...Did she say why she killed them?"

"She didn't tell me anything," Sophia answered truthfully as she put her forehead against the wall and closed her eyes, "I figured it out on my own…It won't take long for one of the others to find out too."

"Tyreese will be out for blood when he finds out who killed Karen," Souta stated as he turned his head to look at the wall where Sophia stood on the other side.

"I know that" Sophia said as she sat down and looked to the floor, "But what can I do…She's my mom."

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Daryl checked the oil in the car they were taking, trying his best to hurry things up.

Four more people had gotten sick.

Including Glenn.

Time was running out and they needed to hurry.

"This son of a bitch is about a quart low," Daryl told Michonne as she walked up to the car.

The sword wilder nodded, "You still keep the oil at the bottom of tower three?"

Daryl nodded yes, but before she left the hunter voiced, "I'm glad you're here."

Michonne shrugged, "Where else would I be?"

"Runnin' off," Daryl replied simply.

"I wasn't running off," Michonne quickly stated.

The hunter wasn't blaming the woman for her reasons behind hunting the Governor. But that didn't mean he liked her being all alone out there.

Michonne desperately wanted to change the subject, "So it's going to be me and you like in the old days? Minus our favorite priestess."

"Us, Bob and Shippo," Daryl corrected her. They needed Bob since he was one of the few people who had some idea about medicine and Shippo was good extra muscle in case they were in a tight spot. "Even with Pony Tail I feel like we need one more."

"Who else isn't sick?" Michonne asked.

"We don't ask Rick," the hunter figured, "He wants to stay here with Carl and Lil' Ass-Kicker. Keep an eye on them. Said he'd look in on Kagome too."

Michonne nodded figuring as much, "Then who else we got?"

There was only one option that came into their minds.

Tyreese

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Meanwhile, Kagome began coughing as she led Lizzie into A Block, giving Carol an assuring nod that she'd look after the girl before sealing the door.

'This is getting out of control," the priestess thought weakly. 'If we don't do something before the others come back, we'll all be dead.'

Before another word was spoken, the door to the outside of the prison opened.

Lizzie tried to see who it was, but Kagome held her back. "You go lay down and get some rest," she instructed the girl before she pulled a knife from her side.

The priestess walked over to the door, prepared for anything and yet she was still surprised at what she found.

"Hershel?" Kagome questioned the old veterinarian being here of all places. He was vulnerable just like the children were, so he was told to stay away. "What are you doing?" the priestess asked weakly

Hershel walked in with his mouth covered with a bandana while he carried in a few medical supplies, a lot of cups and something else that'll help everyone here. "Elderberries," he told her, "My wife used to make tea with them."

Kagome's eyes widened at the mention of the berries. She briefly remembered a conversation she had about some herbal remedies that he knew from his wife, "A natural flu remedy." The priestess had been so exhausted that she didn't even think about the berries since this whole thing started.

Hershel nodded, "It'll bring the fevers down and stable most of the sick for now."

The priestess wanted to hug the old man but didn't want him to be more exposed then he already was, "Oh Hershel...Thank you."

The old man nodded, "I'm gonna make as much tea as I can, but I need you to drink some first since you're one of the few who've been here the longest. And you need to get some rest as well."

"But there are more people who," Kagome tried to argue.

"That's Veterinarian's orders," Hershel interrupted as he ordered her sternly.

Kagome knew better then to argue with him, and reluctantly nodded before she watched Hershel make the tea.

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Daryl drove silently as Michonne sat next to him on the passenger side while Bob, Shippo and Tyreese, who volunteered to come along, sat in the back.

It was silent for a while until the hunter finally broke it, "I know you weren't running off…The thing is, the trail went cold. You know that right?"

Michonne didn't reply.

"If it was any different, I'd be out there with you," Daryl told her honestly.

"She can't help it," Shippo interrupted, "Her ancestors were demon slayers. It's literally in her blood to hunt…But I wouldn't mind you being home too. So does Kilala"

Michonne turned her head and smiled at the fox demon, "She tell you that?"

"Well, that or 'more fish please.' I can't really tell," Shippo admitted, which caused a few snickers in the car, except from Tyreese.

Wanting to avoid more silence Daryl tried to adjust the radio to see if any radio towers were still functioning. When he didn't hear anything he asked Michonne to grab CD.

That's when they heard it.

"… _find sanctuary."_

Everyone froze in movement.

"Was that a voice?" Bob asked.

"Sounded like it," Shippo replied.

Daryl shushed the both of them as he tried to find the station again.

"… _determined to survive…Keep alive."_

Everyone was so focused on the radio signal that they didn't notice all the Walkers in the road.

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Rick looked at the facts.

He wanted to be wrong.

More than anything in his life he wished that he was wrong about this.

But he had to know.

After lecturing Carol about the stunt she pulled about going out of the gates, alone, in order to unclog the hose so they could get the water from the stream, Rick asked, "Carol…did you kill Karen and David?"

Carol didn't even try to hide her guilt, "Yes."

Rick let out an exasperated sigh before asking his next question, "If you knew that Kagome was sick too…Would you have killed her?"

Carol looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back at Rick, "Possibly," she answered before taking a few buckets of water over to A Block to be picked up.

Rick didn't try and stop her.

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Not long after the accident, Daryl, Michonne, Bob and Shippo began running from the heard of Walkers that were following them. After the car got stuck because of some piled up Walkers that the hunter ran over, they all made a break through the woods. Tyreese stayed behind giving everyone else a running start.

"Any time Pony Tail," Daryl yelled over to the fox demon as they ran.

"I'm working on it," Shippo told him as he grabbed four leaves from the trees they passed as they ran, and began infusing them with his demon fox magic. Once he was finished he stopped and turned, "Duplicate," he yelled as he threw the leaves and created copies of their group. The copies began jogging in a different direction, making a majority of the Walkers follow them.

This finally allowed the group to stop and catch their breaths.

"How long do those things last?" Bob asked the fox demon.

"Less than five minutes," Shippo informed him, "More than enough time for us to get away."

A rustling in the trees caught Daryl's attention, as he readied his bow.

"It's Tyreese," Shippo told the others as the man emerged from the trees, his shirt covered in Walker blood.

"Now what?" Bob asked.

"We keep going," Daryl answered as they gathered what they had and began walking.

They needed to find another vehicle, fast.

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Later in the day, Kagome helped Sasha, who was lying in bed, as she drank the tea. "Easy," the priestess cautioned her not to drink too fast. Lizzie gave a small cough from the entrance of the cell, wanting to see Kagome and Sasha. That tea was a literal life saver for the priestess and everyone else in A Block. Kagome probably wouldn't have been able to last much longer if Hershel hadn't stepped in to help.

When Sasha was done, Kagome put the cup down. "In about half an hour your temperature should go down. After that you should try to get some sleep."

Sasha nodded at the priestess, "Tyreese," she said hoarsely, "The others…You think they're alright?"

The priestess took a cloth and put it in a bowl of water before draining. "I'm sure they are," Kagome answered as she placed the cloth on Sasha's forehead, "Tyreese will be back soon, you'll see."

"Or he'll come back as one of them...It's what always happens," Lizzie voiced, making Kagome gave her a sharp warning in her gaze.

The little girl didn't need to remind them of that.

Sasha sighed at the coolness of the cloth, not wanting Lizzie's words to affect her, but worry was still etched on her face. She wanted a better distraction. "Could you tell me a story?" she suddenly asked the priestess.

Kagome let out a half laugh at the request, "Alright…Have you heard of the princess and the toad?"

"Everyone knows that one," Lizzie pointed out.

"Yeah. And don't you mean frog?" Sasha asked Kagome.

"Nope, I meant toad. And this toad was also a demon," the priestess corrected.

Sasha snorted, "Of course he is," she said as Lizzie sat down on the foot of the bed before Kagome told them the story of Amari Nobunaga, Princess Tsuyu, and the toad demon.

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Thankfully no one had died that night in Cellblock A.

But they weren't getting better.

Early that morning, Rick told Carol that they were going on a run to find more supplies. Because of the outbreak in D Block, the food was probably all contaminated now. Carol went to say good bye to Sophia, Lizzie, and Mika before she left.

They both drove to a neighborhood where they found two survivors, a young man and woman. Carol had helped the young man when they found out his shoulder was dislocated. After talking it over, the both of them allowed the two young people to help them scavenge the neighborhood and join their group.

Rick and Carol continued to search for supplies until they found a small tomato garden and began picking the ripe ones.

"How'd you put his shoulder back before?" Rick suddenly asked her, never seeing anyone do it that way before. "Did you learn that from Hershel or Kagome?"

"Internet," Carol corrected as she picked the tomatoes, "It was easier then telling the ER nurse I tripped down the stairs for the third time."

Rick nodded, not needing anymore explanation, "Sorry."

"Just fixed what needed fixing," Carol said simply, "I...I actually convinced myself I was happy with him," she said referring to Ed. "Which wasn't all that hard to do since my idea of happiness then was not being alone...Made a decent living. Had an amazing daughter. He was charming when he wanted to be...Especially those mornings after he'd come home piss-drunk and," she couldn't finish. Rick was silent and looked at her with sympathy. "A lot of those times Sesshōmaru would show up unexpectedly...As soon as he left, Ed would apologize for what he'd done...I was stupid enough to forgive him every time...I didn't think I could be strong."

"Well, you proved yourself wrong," Rick finally spoke.

Carol shrugged, "Just learned what Sesshōmaru taught me...I sure can pick'em though."

"He's a good guy, despite it all," Rick reminded her about the demon, "The only reason Sesshōmaru's gone is because he wants to protect you."

Carol shook her head, "It's for Sophia. Not me."

"No," Rick told her, "Not just for Sophia...You too."

There was a silence between the two before they finished gathering tomatoes. They walked over to the street where the young woman they met was being eaten by Walkers.

They both looked at one another before quietly retreating to the opposite direction. They knew that their was nothing they could do for the woman now.

Both of them waited for a couple of hours for the young man to return, but it later became obvious that he wasn't coming back, so they went back to their car.

As Carol began packing what they found in their vehicle, Rick made a difficult decision.

"They might have lived," he finally spoke of the crime Carol had committed making her pause to look at him. "Karen and David might have lived, and now they're dead...That wasn't your decision to make...When Tyreese finds out...When Sophia finds out what you did."

"Don't," Carol begged him.

"Tyreese might kill you, Carol," Rick continued, "He damn near killed me over nothing."

"I can handle Tyreese," Carol assured him.

Rick shook his head, "When the others find out, they won't want you there. You think Daryl would want you around knowing you could have killed Kagome if you'd known about her being sick. Or that she'd automatically forgive you."

"She's forgiven worse," she pointed out.

"And Sophia," Rick continued, "You think she wants the others to know that her mother's a killer...And if the other's don't make it back and it's just the two of us and my children...I won't have you there."

Carol couldn't believe what she was hearing. Didn't he see that she killed Karen and David just so the virus wouldn't spread? Yes it didn't work, but her intentions were good. "Rick...It's me. No one else has to know...And I thought you were done making decisions for everyone."

"I'm making this decision for me," Rick stated.

"I could have pretended that everything was gonna be fine," Carol interrupted, wiping away tears that escaped her eyes. "But I didn't. I did something. I stepped up. I did exactly what..."

When Carol didn't finish, Rick guessed her thoughts, "You did exactly what Sesshōmaru would have done," he finished for her. "From where I stand...You did what the Governor would have done."

That made Carol's tears fall fast down her face. She quickly wiped them away, trying to stay strong. "If you think I'm going anywhere without my daughter or Lizzie and Mika."

"You want to take three young girls on your own out there?" Rick asked her.

Carol knew that the answer was no.

"We'll keep them safe," Rick promised, "You're not that woman who's too scared to be alone. Not anymore...You're gonna survive." He took the bag and supplies he prepared for her and handed them over.

After a few heart beating moments, Carol reluctantly took the bag.

 **And cut there. Man...Heavy stuff going down. Some good...But a lot of bad. Anyway, what do you think? Next time: We got some good news...Followed by some more bad...These people just can't catch a break.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	25. Through Hell and Back

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Ten reviews for the last chapter. You guys are so awesome. Thank you so much: Mari Cherie,** **Narakusmiko2,** **Tolazytologin (Guest), NicoleR85, darkangel0212, LightningThief47, MOONWOLF1234, , Guest, Elfy Lolita, Fran (Guest),** **Frances12, GiggleboxGirlie, Guest 1, SapphireKageKyuura, and Guest 2 for your amazing words of encouragement. And a shout out to:** **Keys25, ruby92gloom, x0xshizukax0x, Frances12,** **elfee,** **MangaLover2142, Liana Soul, angelloverkk, x0xshizukax0x,** **animeXvampirefreak3000,** **INSECTgrl, Light Envy, and Taisenokami for your support.**

Disclaimer: In case it's not obvious yet...I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter Twenty Five: Through Hell and Back

Earlier that same morning, Daryl's group went to find an area to scavenge and another vehicle, which they fortunate enough to find. All it needed was a little fix up, thanks to the handy spare parts in the store next to where they found the car, and they'd be on their way.

As the car was being fixed, the group was starting to grow worried about Tyreese's mental state. After telling everyone to run after they lost their first car and doing too many stupid things when they tried to fix the van they had just found, it's as if Tyreese didn't care about living anymore.

Not that the others blamed Tyreese for his behavior after losing Karen the way he had.

...But they didn't want him to die either.

He was family.

Once the group fixed and got the car ready, they drove the rest of the way to West Peachtree Tech. As Hershel predicted, the place hadn't been raided and had everything that they needed to save everyone sick at the prison.

Daryl let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Kagome was going to be okay once they delivered the medicine.

Bob also instructed that they take other things with them, knowing that having other medicines could come in handy later, "Anything ending with –cillin or –cin. C-I-N, grab it." The others did as instructed and grabbed whatever else they could find useful. "We dissolve the pills into the IV's, put 'em right into the bloodstream. Dosage will be tricky but considering the time we lost..."

No one commented as they got everything they needed to save the ones infected with the virus.

IV bags, tubes, clamps, connectors, and much more.

"We got everyin'?" Daryl asked them after filling their bags as much as they could.

"We're good," Michonne told him as she put her backpack over her shoulder.

"Alright, let's roll," the hunter instructed the group.

Shippo nodded, before he sent a quick emotional pulse to Beth through their mate mark. He wanted to let her know that they were all okay and that they'd be on their way home soon. 'I'm coming back, my love.'

The fox demon spoke too soon as the group ran into a bunch of Walkers on their way out. The undead were in almost every direction, and none of the groups weapons and skills, including from the demon, was enough for them to take on so many in such an enclosed space. The only way out was to escape through the second floor window and onto a metal roofed walkway cover next to the building.

Bob ended up tripping on his way out the window and almost drop his bag over the edge, where an endless amount of Walkers were wanting a taste of the living man. Bob refused to let go of the bag and tried to pull it back up, but one of the undead had tangled it's arm around it.

"Bob, let it go," Michonne told him as they tried to pull Bob away from the Walkers.

Bob didn't listen and tried to pull up the bag again.

"Let it go, man," Tyreese urged him, "Just let it go."

"We have the stuff in the other bag, we're fine," Shippo remained him as he finally pulled Bob up, bag and all.

Bob's bag opened once it hit the metal roof, revealing a bottle of brandy.

Daryl picked up the alcoholic beverage, almost waning to crush the item in his hand before glaring at Bob, "You got no meds in your bag...Just this?" he accused the man.

Bob didn't answer since he was too ashamed of his weakness.

The hunter was furious.

Even after Bob had confessed at what happened at the Big Stop, how he was the reason everything got so bad was because he wanted a drink. Daryl told him that wasn't his fault since he thought the man learned his lesson. 'I was dead wrong,' he thought in anger.

"You should have kept walkin' that day," Daryl snarled before he attempted to throw the bottle away.

"Don't," Bob warned the hunter as he put his hand over his gun holster.

Shippo growled at the man threatening his mother's potential mate, attempting to step forward and take care of the matter himself.

But Daryl beat the demon to it.

He got into Bob's face, grunting as he simply grabbed the gun away from Bob's holster.

Bob whimpered in his cowardly state, as his shame continued to show on his face.

Tyreese and Michonne looked at each other, not sure of what to do.

Daryl grabbed Bob by the front of his shirt.

"Just let it go Daryl," Tyreese urged the hunter, "The man's made his choice. Nothing you can do about it."

"We have to save Kagome and the others," Michonne reminded the hunter.

With the mention of Kagome, Daryl released Bob's shirt.

"I didn't want to hurt nobody," Bob admitted in self-pity, "It was just for when it gets quiet."

Daryl shoved the bottle into Bob's hand, "Take one sip when those meds get in our people and my girl, I will beat your ass to the ground," he harshly threatened before grabbing his bag and crossbow and walking away in anger.

"If he doesn't kill you after that, I will," Shippo warned Bob as he followed the hunter.

Tyreese shook his head in disproval before following the men.

Michonne was also disgusted by Bob's selfish greed and followed behind them.

Bob looked down at the bottle and put it in his bag before following his group.

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Meanwhile, back in A Block, a man named Henry's condition took a turn of the worst.

He was coughing out blood and began to have difficulty breathing.

Hershel was preparing his medical tools while Kagome and Glenn held him down and Sasha was holding a small flash light to the man's open mouth for Hershel to see.

"Henry," Hershel pleaded to the coughing man, "I need you to calm down. We're trying to help."

Henry continued to cough, in obvious pain but tried his best to comply.

Kagome had to look away as Hershel had to maneuver the breathing device and put the tool down the suffering man's throat. It was the only way to keep the blood from filling up his throat, but it wasn't a pleasant procedure to watch. Once Hershel finished, he placed the air bag over the tube in Henry's throat and squeezed air into his lungs.

Slowly and gradually, Henry began to calm down once he was finally able to breath without any pain.

Glenn and Kagome let out a sigh of relief while Sasha pulled back and smiled at their small victory before she and Glenn began coughing again, unable to control it.

"Drink some of that," Hershel ordered the three of them to drink the elderberry tea, "All of you."

All three of them reluctantly went to drink some tea. Luckily, Carl saw what the berries looked like when he helped Hershel the first time and went to get more with Souta and Kilala.

"Some council meeting, huh?" Hershel said to them, wanting to keep their minds off things.

Sasha nodded, "We're two members short."

"Somehow I doubt they'd mind," Kagome voiced after she drank the tea. She wasn't coughing as much anymore but she was still sweating profusely just like Glenn and Sasha were now.

"I think we should make some new rules before they get back," Hershel spoke, "I hereby declare we have spaghetti Tuesdays...Every Wednesday...First we have to find some spaghetti."

Sasha raised a brow at Hershel's attempted joke.

"You know...I've never had spaghetti," Kagome admitted to everyone, trying to help the old veterinarian out.

Hershel's eyes widened at the, in his opinion, tragic news, "Oh now we've definitely got to find some."

The girls gave a small smile while Glenn continued to sit silently.

Realizing that his attempted humor wasn't going any further, Hershel looked to Sasha. "You ready to take over?" She nodded yes. "Squeeze every five to six seconds. If you start getting light headed, let us know so someone can take over. We'll do it shifts." When Sasha nodded in understanding, Hershel turned to Kagome and Glenn, "You two, help me go on my rounds."

Both individuals weakly got up from the bed.

"How long will that keep him alive?" Glenn asked the old veterinarian.

"As long as we're willing to do it," Hershel answered.

Kagome nodded, "Until the others get back."

Hershel squeezed her shoulder, "As long as it takes."

The trio walked down the halls of A Block, listening to the sounds of harsh coughing and groaning.

Once they reached the end of the hall, they came across a cell that held Mr. Jacobs, who wasn't moving. Hershel quickly inspected, realizing the man was already dead.

Glenn reached for his knife, but was stopped by Hershel.

"No...Not here," the old veterinarian said before he left to get a rolling stretcher.

Glenn shook his head, "What's the point?"

Kagome glared at him, "The others don't need to see this."

"But they'll see the body," Glenn pointed out.

"Let's just do as Hershel says," the priestess urged, "We don't need everyone to think we're giving up...Because we're not."

"Damn right we're not," Hershel replied when he came back with the stretcher.

Glenn shook his head, "What if Henry dies? How are we supposed to get him down the stairs without anyone noticing?"

"You'll help us," Hershel said simply.

"And if I'm gone?" Glenn asked them.

Hershel sighed in mild frustration.

"Don't make me hurt you Glenn," Kagome threatened her Korean brother, "I told Maggie you'd get out of here in one piece. I'd hate to disappoint her."

It took a few moments for Glenn to finally nod in agreement.

Hershel nodded satisfied by the response, "Now you two, help me get him on this."

The three of them managed to get Mr. Jacobson onto the stretcher and made their way to the visiting room so they could stab Mr. Jacobson's corpse before he could turn.

"What are you doing?" Lizzie asked as she walked down the cells.

Hershel walked over to the little girl, "We're just taking Mr. Jacobson to a quieter place." He quickly checked her forehead and saw that her fever was still there. The old veterinarian took the little girl's hand. "I want you to go into my room and grab my copy of Tom Sayer. Finish it by tonight."

"I won't finish it," Lizzie told him in protest.

"Why?" Hershel asked her curiously. Glenn and Kagome looked at each other, not knowing what she'd say.

"It'll get too dark soon," Lizzie replied simply before coughing into her arm.

Hershel gave a small smile before grabbing the girl's hands, "Give it your best try...We all have jobs to do, and that's yours." The old man turned to the priestess, "Make sure she drinks some tea."

Kagome nodded as she went to Lizzie, "Come on sweetie. You can read some of Tom Sayer to me."

Lizzie allowed the priestess to take her back to her room while Glenn and Hershel took Mr. Jacobson's body away.

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When Rick returned from his run, he had to tell Maggie what happened with Carol. The farmer's daughter was surprised by what she'd learned, but understood why Rick had sent the older woman away.

Now Rick was in the administration's office, "Carl?...Carl?!"

Carl came from around the corner, but kept his distance from his father, "You okay?"

Rick almost snorted, "I was gonna ask you that."

"We're fine," Carl assured, "No one here has gotten sick. Judith's okay too. Beth's looking after her."

Rick let out a sigh of relief, before tossing his bag over to his son, "Found some food on the run. There's a bunch of fruit leather in there. Have everyone brush their teeth after," he instructed his son before dreading this next part. "And Carl...Could you bring Sophia out to see me?"

Carl lifted the bag over his shoulder, "Why?"

"Please," Rick said, not answering his question.

Carl gave an obedient nod and went to get Sophia.

It took a few minutes for the blonde girl to meet up with Rick. She also kept her distance from him, "Is my mother dead?" she asked Rick straight out, figuring it was one of the two likely scenarios of why Rick wanted to talk to her alone.

"No," Rick assured her, "No your mom's okay...But," he paused. He didn't know how he was going to tell Sophia that he kicked her mother out of the group.

Luckily Sophia knew better, "Mom killed Karen and David...Didn't she?" Rick's eyes widened in surprise before giving a small nod as his answer. Sophia wrapped her arms around herself to keep herself from falling apart. "Can she...Will you let her come back someday?"

Rick didn't answer for a few moments, "I don't know."

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Kagome tried to keep pace with Hershel as they walked slowly to check on everyone in their cell rooms. The priestess's fever had gone down and her coughing had lessened, but she still felt very weak. Glenn was taking care of Henry, to make sure he continued to breathe with the mask.

"Do we have to do this?" the priestess asked him weakly.

Hershel nodded, "It's just a precaution."

Kagome sighed before she nodded and began shutting the cell doors for people's room.

No one asked her or Hershel why they needed to do this.

Because they already knew.

If someone turned during the night, they needed to protect the others from being bitten or eaten.

Kagome couldn't look at the others as she closed them off. 'I hate this,' she thought to herself.

Suddenly, one of the sick men came stumbling out of his room and collapsed to the floor. He began coughing immensely before chocking on his own blood.

Hershel and Kagome went immediately at the man's side, but it was too late.

Hearing the commotion, people began coming out of their rooms to see what was happening. Some of them looked at the man, realizing that their fate was inevitable.

Hershel refused to let them think this way, "Everyone, get back in your cells," he ordered sternly.

Sasha, who saw the whole thing, went and got the rolling stretcher. "Let's get him on this," she told them.

All three of them, maneuvered the dead man onto the stretcher.

"Both of you go get some rest," Hershel ordered as he rolled the stretcher to the visiting room. Sasha did as she was told, but Kagome kept following behind the old veterinarian.

Once the stretcher came to a stop, Hershel took out the knife from his pocket.

"Wait," the priestess pleaded before Hershel took his knife down on the man's head. Before the old veterinarian could ask her why, Kagome grabbed the dead man's hand and closed her eyes to pray for him. When she was finished, the priestess covered the man's face with a white sheet that was already on the stretcher.

Hershel gave a small smile to the priestess before he said a small prayer of his own. When he was finished, he jabbed his knife into the dead man's forehead.

"This won't get easier," Kagome said weakly, "But we shouldn't let it change us."

"Amen to that," Hershel agreed.

"Hershel?" Rick's voice startled the both of them.

He'd seen the whole thing.

"He's the third one we've lost," Hershel informed him.

"We're burning them behind the blocks," Kagome added.

Hershel looked to the ground, "Burning them...That's what it's come to."

"Are you both okay?" Rick asked with concern.

Kagome gave a weak nod in reply.

Hershel didn't acknowledge the question as his gaze went to the dead man in front of him. "I had talked to him yesterday about Steinbeck...He told me a quote. 'A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.'"

"His soul wasn't sad," Kagome interrupted, "Trust me, I know."

Hershel nodded in small relief before looking to Rick, "And that is exactly why I don't want them all to see what happens," he gestured to the dead body in front of them. "I know that...they know. But I don't want them to see it right now."

"They see the both of you," Rick replied to both Hershel and Kagome. "They see you both keep going. Even as sick as you are," he looked over at the priestess who was in obvious exhaustion. "Even when the choices keep getting taken away...Even when we get past this thing, it's not gonna be like how it was, is it?"

"No," Hershel answered, not bothering to lie.

"Was that denial?" Rick asked the old man, "Not seeing things for how they were?"

"No," Hershel answered again, "You just caught a break. You needed some time. You got some."

Kagome nodded, "You deserved it out of all of us."

"After all this...I still think there's a plan," Hershel admitted, "I still believe there's a reason."

"You think it's all a test?" Rick asked them both.

The priestess shrugged, "I've been thinking my life has been a test since I was fifteen years old. And as much as I hate to admit it, I've seen worse things than this...The dead may be rising. This sickness may have weakened us...But we're still here. We still have our humanity...And we all still have our family."

Both men looked at the woman completely speechless. Sometimes they forgot about all she had endured before the apocalypse began.

In the end, they knew she was right.

Still, it didn't make what Rick had to say easier, "I need to tell you both about Carol."

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Sophia did her best not to cry.

'It's just you now,' she told herself, 'You can't be a crybaby anymore.'

If she was going to survive in this world, she had to be tough.

It's what Sesshōmaru and her mother would have wanted.

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled her. Sophia fought back the tears that threatened to fall down her face before she went to the door.

Souta was on the other side as she opened it.

"We're not supposed to," Sophia began to say before Souta grabbed her shoulders, pulled her towards him and held her tightly.

Carl heard what his father said to Sophia, which he immediately told to Souta.

Sophia's eyes widened by the intense embrace.

"You don't have to force yourself to act like you're okay," Souta told her, "She was your mom...You're allowed to be sad that she's not here."

A few tears escaped Sophia's eyes as she hugged Souta back.

This boy knew her way too well.

And for that, she was grateful.

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Kagome couldn't believe it.

'Carol,' she thought baffled, 'How could she have done it?'

Hershel grabbed the priestess shoulder, giving her a sympathetic squeeze as they began closing the cell doors.

"Oh no," Hershel's voice made Kagome turn from her task. She went over as quickly as she could and saw the problem.

"Sasha," Kagome called out in alarm as she saw the woman unconscious on the floor.

"She's alive," Hershel assured after he checked her pulse, "But she needs an IV."

Kagome nodded as Hershel left to get what they need before she grabbed a pillow off the bed and put it under Sasha's head. "Don't give up Sasha," she urged her friend.

Hershel returned and quickly went to work as he put an IV in the unconscious woman's arm. He held the bag up close to his head so the liquid would flow down the tube core easily.

After ten whole minutes, Sasha's eyes finally opened.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief, 'Thank Kami.'

"Welcome back," Hershel greeted Sasha with a smile.

Sasha blinked in confusion, "I...I passed out?"

"You were dehydrated," Hershel informed her.

Kagome took a cool cloth she retrieved earlier and placed it on Sasha's head, "You scared me."

"Sorry Mom," Sasha told her half joking. Kagome had been the mother hen all this time, she might as well be given the title too.

The priestess rolled her eyes at the name, but smiled anyway.

"Well, being hero takes a lot out of you," Hershel voiced to her.

Sasha's eyes went to the old veterinarian, "You should know...I thought you were an idiot to come in here. I was so sure you were just going to be a dead foolish man."

Hershel raised a brow, "I can't tell if that's a compliment."

"I guess a fever makes her brutally honest," Kagome figured, making Hershel give an amused laugh.

"I never once believed in magic or luck," Sasha kept talking, "I do the math and I don't gamble...But I don't know if I'd be here right now if you weren't so damn stupid."

Kagome looked to Hershel, "She does have a point."

"You know what," Hershel said to both women, "I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Both women smiled at him. The old veterinarian kept the bag in the bag up but passed over to Kagome. "Hold it like this for her," he instructed, "I need to check on everyone."

The priestess nodded as she accepted the bag before Hershel stood up and left them alone.

"He's not the only hero here, ya know," Sasha told her.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed, "You've been helping so many people while you've been in here."

Sasha rolled her eyes, "I'm serious."

"So was I," the priestess told her. "You're a fighter Sasha. Don't ever forget that."

It took a moment for the woman to nod.

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For a few brief time, A Block was silent.

Then the time was up.

"HERSHEL!" Lizzie screamed in the cell upstairs that held Henry and Glenn. The Korean was coughing up blood on the floor, while Henry woke up and became a Walker.

The scream was quickly covered by Walker's snarling from the halls.

Hershel was knocked over and was fighting a female Walker that was now on top of him.

Kagome heard the commotion and placed Sasha's IV on the bed. "Stay here," she told a weak Sasha as she got out of the cell as quickly as she could and closed Sasha's cell door.

Although Hershel ordered everyone to stay in their cells, that didn't stop two individuals from helping him.

A blonde woman came out of her room managed to pull the Walker off of Hershel. Another was a man with a gun, who would have fired had it not been for a young Walker coming up and biting him in the arm, firing the gun at the blond woman in the stomach causing her to fall to the ground.

"No!" Kagome cried as she grabbed her knife from her pocket stabbing the Walker who just tore the man's neck out. After retreating the knife from the Walker's skull, she went to the female Walker and stabbed her in the head next. "Are you bit?" the priestess asked Hershel.

"No," the old man told her as he sat up and looked at the chaos around them.

Both of them took in the sight until they heard Lizzie voice from above.

"Come on Henry," Lizzie encouraged Walker Henry to follow her on the perch. "This way. Away from Glenn. Come on."

"Oh my Kami," Kagome said in horror as she attempted to help Lizzie when Hershel stopped her.

"No. Protect the others," Hershel ordered as he rushed up the stairs to save Lizzie.

Before the priestess could protest, another Walker appeared from a cell making some of the sick people panic and try to run out of their cells

" **Damn it,"** Kagome cursed as she put up a barrier around the living survivors to prevent the Walker from grabbing them. The barrier was weak due to Kagome's fragile state. "Get in the cells! Lock yourselves in!" she ordered the others.

Everyone listened to priestess as she went over to the Walker and stabbed him in the head.

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It all happened so fast.

Rick heard the gun shot from A Block and let Maggie go to see what happened. Leaving Rick alone to fix the fence which was being pushed in by the massive amount of Walkers. Thinking he needed help, he went and got Carl so they could finish the job together.

He had no idea that the fence would give out do to the great number of Walkers.

Desperate, Rick grabbed two guns and gave one to Carl.

Both of them began shooting at the Walkers as they slowly made their way inside.

Rick was worried that they'd both run out of ammo before the task was finished.

Suddenly, an arrow zipped passed both Rick and Carl, hitting the closest Walker dead in the eye.

Both of the Grimes turned and saw Sophia with a bow and quiver of arrows, while Souta took out two hand guns and began firing at the herd of Walkers.

The young couple heard the commotion outside and knew that their friend needed help.

Together, all four of them stood together in a line as they took down the Walkers one by one.

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"Hershel what are you doing?" Kagome yelled as the old veterinarian tried to get to Walker Henry, who managed to roll onto the fenced top of a cell.

"Daddy," someone screamed as she ran into the room.

"Maggie," the priestess identified as the farmer's daughter aimed her gun at Walker Henry.

"No!" Hershel yelled down, "You can hit the mask! We need it for Glenn!"

Kagome gasped in horror while Maggie took a deep breath before firing the gun, right in the Walker's head, leaving the mask untouched.

"Where is he?" Maggie asked after she fired.

"Up here," Hershel answered as he maneuvered to get the mask off Henry, "Cell one hundred."

"Go," Kagome encouraged before she checked the cells for any more Walkers.

It looked like it had only been five people who were killed downstairs. Until the priestess went to check the upper levels and found one more person.

Dr. S was locked in his cell, and was now a Walker.

Kagome let a tear run down her face as went up to the cell door and stabbed Dr. S in the eye to get to the brain, making the Walker Dr. S hit the ground with a thump.

It was over now.

The priestess went to the end of the hall and checked with Hershel and Maggie, who got the mask on Glenn before he choked on his own blood. "How is he?" she asked them.

Hershel squeezed the mask, "We got him stable. He'll be alright."

Kagome leaned up against the wall and slid down in exhaustion. She didn't know how much longer they were going to last.

'Daryl...where are you?' she weakly wondered before the world around her started to go black.

"Kagome!" Maggie cried out as the priestess leaned over and passed out on the floor.

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Outside the prison, Rick, Carl, Souta, and Sophia were carefully treading the ground of dead Walkers with knives or stabbing weapons from the fence patrols to make sure every Walker was dead. Sophia retrieved every salvageable arrow she could as she went to every Walker she hit with her bow.

Rick couldn't help but stare at his son and his friends.

All three of them had to grow up so fast in order to survive in this world. But a part of him was grateful that Carl still had friends that would be there to help him in his time of need.

As Carl stabbed the last Walker on the ground, a vehicle drove up to the gates.

Daryl's team had finally returned

"Dad," Carl looked over to his dad, "Everything's going to be okay," he said before he ran over to get the gate.

Souta went to go help him, leaving Rick and Sophia alone.

"You alright?" he asked her with concern.

Sophia looked up to him, before she put the bow and arrows back over with the rest of the weapons, "I have to be."

Rick nodded as he went over to open the second gate to let the vehicle drive through.

Michonne pulled the car over and Tyreese and Daryl swiftly jumped out.

"Sasha? How's Sasha?" Tyreese asked Rick.

"I don't know. I'm sorry," Rick quickly apologized.

Shippo looked at the two men, "We got this. You two go."

Daryl nodded to the fox demon before he and Tyreese ran inside to A Block.

Tyreese went inside first and quickly looked for his sister, while the hunter followed behind him.

They both looked at the blood and Walkers around them in the cell block. The worst case scenario went through his mind before Lizzie stepped out of her cell.

"She's in there," Lizzie pointed to the cell up on the far end of the perch for the hunter.

Daryl nodded and quickly thanked the little girl before he went to the cell. Kagome was unconscious on a bed with Hershel kneeling next to her, with an IV bag in hand. The priestess was sweating a lot and was covered with blood spatters.

"She wasn't bit," the old man assured the hunter, "Kagome killed the Walkers and then passed out from exhaustion and dehydration...She saved a lot of our people."

The hunter sat on the bed and grabbed Kagome's hand, with the arm with no IV, and kissed her knuckles lovingly, 'That's my Baby Girl.'

The remainder of the night was a lot of work, mainly for Bob, who was one of two people who could make the medicine for those who were sick.

But he did it with no complaints.

Daryl stared intently at Bob as he injected the needle into Kagome's arm.

"She'll be fine now," Bob assured him.

The hunter didn't acknowledge him for a few moments as his eyes drifted back to Kagome, "Thanks," he finally said to the man he'd previously threatened.

Bob gave a small nod before he went to see his next patient.

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A little after Bob took care of those who were infected, he treated the children and elderly to make sure the virus wouldn't affect them.

This allowed everyone to go back into their cell rooms.

That's when the fox demon was told about the suprising news.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Shippo told Beth after she informed him about Carol.

Beth put Judith in her play pin in Rick's room before looking back to her mate. "That's what Souta told me...She's the one that killed Karen and David."

The fox demon let out an angry breath, "Did she know about my mother being sick at the time too?"

Beth shook her head, "No she didn't."

Shippo's eyes went red, "Damn it. If she had known...Then that bitch would have."

Beth hushed her mate and grabbed his cheek with her hand, "Your mother's safe."

"But Carol," Shippo tried to argue.

"Was dealt with," Beth interrupted. "Rick didn't want her to come back and be around Carl and Judith...And if she comes back, we'll all have a calmer head about it." Shippo had to take a few calming breaths before his eyes went back to their normal green. Beth leaned up and kissed him which calmed him down completely. "I felt your feelings through the mark...To tell me you were coming home...I knew you would," she admitted with a prideful smile.

Shippo leaned up and kissed Beth's forehead, "I'll always come back for you."

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Kagome woke up feeling sunlight on her face. For a moment, she was confused since there were no windows in A Block. It wasn't until the priestess noticed a familiar wind chime on the ceiling that she realized where she was.

It was hers and Daryl's room.

"Wh-what?" she mumbled out before a familiar hand stopped her from sitting up too quickly.

"You need to take it easy, Baby Girl," Daryl told her as he sat next to her on the bed.

Kagome's eyes widened at the hunter before she smiled, "You're back," she said with relief as she hugged Daryl tightly. He held her back just as fiercely, relived that the priestess was conscious.

Suddenly Kagome pulled back in a panic, "What happened to Glenn and Sasha? Lizzie and the others, are they alright?"

Daryl shushed her before her anxiety spiked even more, "They're fine. Sasha, Lizzie and the others are back in their rooms. Glenn's still recoverin' in A Block with two other people, since they were sicker then you. But they're fine."

Kagome let a sigh of relief before she leaned her head down on Daryl's shoulder, "Thank goodness."

The hunter kissed her forehead, secretly checking to make sure her fever was really gone. "You're okay now," Daryl murmured to both Kagome and himself.

The priestess pulled back to look at him, "Thanks to you...How did I get back to our room?" she wondered out loud.

"I carried you back when Hershel gave me the okay...Wanted you here," Daryl admitted to her.

Kagome tilted her head and smiled, "You missed me?"

Daryl tried to keep his face neutral, but failed miserably, "Maybe."

"Maybe huh?" the priestess repeated, "Because if I remember correctly, you more than just missed me."

The hunter did smile at her then, "Yah," he admitted before saying the words he always wanted to say to her when she was conscious, "I love ya Baby Girl."

Kagome smiled back, "I love you too," she said before leaning forward and kissing him.

"Hey is Kagome awake?" Souta said as he came into the room only to see his sister making out with Daryl. "Oh come on," he whined while covering his eyes.

Sophia giggled next to him as the adults pulled apart, "They're just kissing."

"She just got over being sick," Souta complained to the blonde.

Kagome shook her head at his comment, "Relax you big baby, it's safe to look. Now come over here and give me a hug."

Souta went over to the bed, kneeled down and hugged his sister. Daryl smirked at the scene, glad that the siblings were together again.

Kagome looked over at Sophia, "You too," she encouraged letting Sophia join in on their hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Sophia said as she hugged her big sister.

"Me too," Kagome said before pulling back from the hug, "How are you?"

Sophia's smile faltered, "I'm...I'm handling it."

Daryl looked at the trio confused, "What's up?"

Kagome looked at the kids who shook their heads at her unasked question. Daryl still didn't know about Carol. "You should go talk to Rick. He needs to be the one to tell you," Before the hunter could protest Kagome cut him off, "It's important."

The hunter sighed before he leaned over and kissed Kagome before he left.

" **Will you cut that out,"** Souta complained in Japanese as the hunter left the room.

His outburst brought Sophia's smile back.

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Daryl met Rick on his way out of C Block, while Rick was already on his way inside.

The former leader wasn't sure how the hunter was going to react to the news of what he'd done with Carol.

Daryl absorbed what Rick had to tell him and began to pace in overwhelming frustration.

A feeling of loss and betrayal going through his veins.

On one end, he was angry at Carol for killing David and Karen.

And on the other, Carol was his friend. Like a mother to him and Kagome on more than one occasion. Even though she told him about what she saw between Rick and Kagome, Carol was doing it to be a good friend.

Now she was gone.

Out there in the world all by herself.

"Man, you couldn't have waited till we got back?" Daryl hissed at Rick after he stopped pacing.

"You mean until Tyreese got back?" Rick pointed out.

The hunter glared, "I could have handled that."

"And how would you have reacted if you knew about what she would have done to Kagome?" Rick asked his friend, "She would have killed her."

Daryl stopped pacing, trying his best to keep a clear head, "You don't know that," the hunter retorted.

"She told me so," Rick stated, "When I asked Carol if she would have killed Kagome too, she said 'possibly.'"

"Possibly isn't a yes," Daryl countered weakly, refusing to believe that Carol would do that to him and Kagome. 'Not after everythin' we've been through.'

Rick shook his head, "Carol killed two of our own...She couldn't be here." The hunter didn't respond, "She's gonna be all right. She has a car, supplies, and weapons. She's a survivor and a fighter, just like Sesshōmaru taught her to be."

"Stop sayin' that like you don't believe it," Daryl snarled at Rick, hearing the doubt in the man's voice. "And what are we supposed to do about those three girls of hers? Huh?"

"I told her we'd look after them," Rick informed him, "When I told Kagome about it, she said she'd watch over Sophia."

Daryl nodded, figuring that his priestess would do something like that. She loved Sophia like her own kin and would want to take care of her for Carol, despite what had happened.

"I haven't told Tyreese yet," Rick continued, "I don't know how he's gonna take it."

The hunter took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was about to happen. "Let's go find out."

The two left to find the grieving man.

But what Tyreese showed them when they found him, distracted them.

And what happened next, was something no one had saw coming.

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An explosion outside made the whole prison shake.

"What was that?" Sophia asked as the building rumble.

Kagome sat up from the bed on the floor and searched outside with her priestess powers. She sensed a group of people of outside the prison. Weak, scared, and determined innocent souls were at the entrance of the prison. Kagome also sensed three familiar souls amongst the group.

Two of them were Michonne and Hershel.

The other was someone she'd hoped that they'd never see again.

"Oh no," she let out almost in a whisper.

Suddenly Shippo entered the room, "Are you three okay?"

Kagome shook her head before looking at her son, "It's the Governor...He's back."

Souta immediately took out one of his knives, "We've got to stop him."

Kagome grabbed his arm to halt her brother, "He has Hershel and Michonne."

The fox demon nodded realizing the seriousness of the situation, "You two go tell the others," he ordered to the kids, "I'll help Mom."

Souta and Sophia quickly ran out the door to inform the rest of the group.

Shippo gently helped his mother stand up from the ground.

"Where's Beth?" the priestess asked with worry.

"She's with her sister and the others," Shippo answered her.

"He's not going stop, Shippo," Kagome told him, shaking her head in a panic. "I can feel it...Whatever the Governor planning, I know he won't stop until he kills us all."

The fox demon's eyes went red, ready to go after the psychotic man.

Kagome stopped him, "No Shippo. Not like this. We have to stick to the plan."

Shippo looked at his mother defensively. Despite the situation Kagome still wanted to stick to the evacuation plan, "Are you serious?"

"We don't have a choice," she said with regret.

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Rick, Daryl, Maggie, Beth, Tyreese, Sasha, and Carl ran outside as soon as the explosion went off.

None of them understood what happened until they saw the cars parked in front of the prison.

A group of people armed with guns standing outside the prison gates, looking ready for a fight.

In the middle of that huddle was a tank.

That same war machine had attacked one of the towers, which was now on fire and in ruin.

And the person responsible for all of this, was standing right up front on the tank.

The Governor.

"Rick!" the Governor called out to the prison group, "Come down here! We need to talk!"

Daryl glared at the man as the rest of the group armed themselves for an obvious attack.

"Don't!" Sophia called out as she and Souta ran to them.

"Kagome says they have Michonne and Hershel," Souta told as he made it to them.

"What?!" Maggie and Beth said in a panic.

Sure enough, one of the Governor's people pulled out Hershel and Michonne, who were tied up, from one of their cars and forced them to kneel on the ground.

Rick and Daryl cursed under their breaths.

This left Rick with no choice but to go talk with the Governor.

As the leader went down to speak with the mad man, Maggie looked down to a small Kilala who was hissing at the intruders for capturing her mistress. The brunet leaned down to the cat demon. "Can you get down there without being seen?" she asked her. Kilala nodded at her. "Please. Help them get out of there."

Kilala quickly dashed away out of sight, trying to find the best way to sneak past the intruding humans without being noticed.

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The Governor, Philip, couldn't believe his luck.

After burning down Woodbury and abandoning his men, he did all he could to survive.

In time he'd found himself a new group and family. He had a woman he cared deeply for and a little girl he loved like his own daughter.

But they weren't going to survive.

His group was too weak. Unable to do what was necessary in order to live. The only way to protect his new family, Philip had to take up the mantle of the Governor once more.

Because the Governor knew how to take what he needed and talk people into doing what was necessary in order to survive and fulfill his own agenda.

Rick's prison was perfect for him and his new life.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, especially after what happened last time he'd tried to attack the prison.

After scouting the area for weeks, the Governor quickly realized that the creatures, or whatever those things were that attacked the people of Woodbury, were gone. The only one he saw was the giant cat, which was nowhere to be seen.

That's when he knew he needed to strike before those monsters would return.

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"We can't take 'em all on," Daryl told Sasha and the others as Rick and the Governor talked. "We'll go through the admin building, through the woods like we planned. We ain't got the numbers no more. When's the last time someone checked the stash on the bus?"

"Day before we hit the Big Spot," Sasha informed him, "We were running low on rations then. We're lower now."

Daryl nodded, figuring as much. "Yah, we'll manage. Things go south, everyone heads for that bus."

"Way ahead of you," Shippo told them, as he approached the group. "Kagome told everyone to get ready to travel. She's getting the kids ready now."

The hunter felt a moment of pride when he heard that his woman was one step ahead already.

Shippo quickly went to Beth, knowing that she needed comfort since her father was being held hostage.

This gave Daryl a chance to get the guns and weapons that were stashed near the fence. Slowly and swiftly he passed everyone a weapon. He made sure to give Carl, Souta and Sophia the smaller weapons that he knew they could use.

All three young teenagers were ready to defend their home and family.

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Kagome packed up Judith's bag with cloth diapers, bottles of water, formula, a blanket and a few clothes. Afterwards she locked the infant tightly into her car seat. Judith could sense the priestess's uneasiness and whimpered slightly.

"No, no, no," she smiled at the infant to try and calm her, "You're going to be okay, Sweetie." Kagome leaned down and kissed the baby's head, that's when Judith smiled up at her. "There we go. We're all going to get out of here. I promise you."

Mika walked into the cell, with her bag on her back, "We got everything ready Kagome."

"Good," said the priestess, "Now I want you to get Judith and the other kids onto the bus, okay?"

Mika nodded, as she and another girl grabbed the baby carrier and began heading outside.

The priestess wanted desperately to go with them, but she knew that there were others that still needed help.

'Kami,' she prayed as she went to help everyone, 'I've been asking you for many things lately. But please, I'm begging you, protect my family from the Governor...We can only handle so much on our own.'

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Rick and the Governor talked back and forth.

Knowing that the other wouldn't budge when they tried to negotiate on who was going to live in the prison without any blood being shed.

Hershel was kneeled down, listening to the whole thing. He was proud of Rick as he tried to allow the Governor and his people stay with them, so no one would have to leave.

That it was possible to live in peace.

...But the old man wasn't a fool.

He knew that the Governor wouldn't go for any of it.

So as Rick and the Governor continued talking, he looked over to his daughters as they prepared to defend themselves.

His two little girls had grown into strong and beautiful women. They've overcome so much in this cruel new world and still managed to find a person that made them happy.

He was so proud of them.

If this was his last few moments then Hershel was fine with that, since knew that his daughters would be well looked after.

'I love you both so much,' he thought before reciting the last prayer to himself.

Right before the Governor sliced his head off with Michonne's sword.

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The very moment Hershel had been slain, all hell had broken loose.

Guns on both sides began firing everywhere.

Maggie and Beth were screaming from losing their father.

Michonne had to dodge all of the bullets, since her capture had gotten distracted, and rolled to safety near one of the cars.

That's where Kilala found her.

The small demon cat used her teeth to gnaw at Michonne's bindings to set her free.

Shippo had to grab a gun and began firing at the intruders as the tank broke down their fences. He could feel Beth's devastation through their bond, and it was killing him. The demon wanted nothing more than to rip the Governor's throat out.

But that honor didn't belong to him.

Right now, his mate and family needed him.

Daryl fought valiantly with the teenagers at his side. Each of them fired at the intruders in order to protect themselves.

Rick had been injured by a bullet and was forced to retreat by the knocked over bus in the prison yard.

Tyreese, Sasha, and Bob were also fighting as best they could.

All of them trying to save what was left of their home.

But in the end, everyone knew that it was over.

The prison was lost.

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It wasn't long until Souta and Sophia were out of ammunition in their guns. Both of them had to find a random place to dodge all the bullets and daubery that caused by the attacks of the intruders and the tank.

Their only weapons now were Sophia's bow and arrows along with Souta's knife.

"What do we do?" Sophia asked her boyfriend.

Souta looked across the prison yard and former basketball court. There was no way they could make it to the other side where the bus was parked. The only opening was the destroyed fence on the other side of the prison that was broken from the night before.

"We've got to make a run for it," he finally answered her.

"But what about everyone else?" Sophia asked in a panic, "Your sister, Daryl, Carl, everybody?"

Souta grabbed Sophia's hand and looked her in the eyes, "Sophia, if we want to see everyone again, we have to go now."

The blonde looked at Souta her with uncertainty. They've been training for this moment for a long time. Surviving on their own without any of the groups help. But she didn't want it to be so soon.

"We can do this," Souta assured her.

Before Sophia could answer, another blast of the tank struck the prison.

"Let's go," Souta said as he dragged Sophia behind him by the hand, as they ran out of the fences and into the woods.

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Kagome had been helping people to the bus, using her barrier to protect them from any daubery from falling on them.

In all the chaos the priestess couldn't see or even sense where everyone was or if they were even alive.

But she didn't have time for that, "Come on Glenn," she helped drag her weak friend she saw as a brother outside.

"Glenn! Kagome!" Maggie ran up to them. The priestess let her barrier down in order to let Maggie help her with Glenn.

All three of them struggled as they went to the bus. Once inside they let Glenn lean against one of the seats.

"Where's Beth?" Maggie asked one of the women on the bus.

"She went to find Judith," she answered in a panic.

Kagome's eyes widened in fear. Judith and the children should have been the first people on the bus. 'Where are they?' she thought with worry.

"I have to find her," Maggie told Glenn and ran off the bus.

"Wait," Glenn tried to stop her.

"I'll get her," Kagome said to Glenn as she tried to follow the brunet.

Suddenly a blast from the tank caused Kagome to fall to the ground behind one of the gardens. The priestess tried to stand up again, but she was still weak from recovering from the virus and using her powers so quickly. Any adrenaline that had been motivating her to keep going had finally been drained.

Barely able to lift her head up, she saw the bus begin to leave.

Only a small group of people were on the bus.

None of her family was on it.

...It was over.

Everything they've built was now in ruin.

The prison.

Their home.

'It's gone,' Kagome thought as she began to pass out.

The last thing the priestess could comprehend before the world went black was her body being lifted off the ground.

 **No matter how many times I watch this episode, seeing Hershel die always makes me cry...But man how cool was it when Daryl used a Walker as a shield from the bullets. *insert fangirl squeal here* This was one of the hardest parts to write about since I knew everyone was going to be separated. The next chapter is going to be interesting to write too. But for now tell me what you think. Next time: Separation and doubt.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	26. Once Was Lost

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All! Here is my gift to you for this holiday season. An Early Chapter Release!**

 **Thank you so much MOONWOLF1234, Altiria-Aty,** **darkangel0212,** **,** **Elfy Lolita, NicoleR85, 1Whitedragon (Guest), Guest 1, and Jasper'sDarlinBunny, and Guest 2 for your reviews. And to Scarlatta Rain,** **Beardere, Alexandra Daughter of the dead, Luna91588, aoa1012, PurpleGoddess9, Namuun990914, The Blue Insanity 8500, laraferreira,** **Silver-Sapphire22,** **Dramageekxanimegeek, Arcane36, and Linksyszx for your encouragement.**

 **Now On With The Show!**

 **Warning: Due to the group separations, there's going to be a lot of scene jumping all over this chapter and the next few that follow. Be prepared to deal with that.**

Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' so I don't make nothin'. No suing.

Chapter Twenty Six: Once Was Lost

Michonne looked around the prison.

It was on fire and blown apart thanks to the tank the invaders brought with them.

After she had struck down the Governor and helped Rick get up to look for Carl, Michonne began beheading as many Walkers as she could with her sword.

Discarded Walker heads were less threatening then one with a body.

But it was all in vain.

The prison was now swarming with the undead from all the noise the fight had wrought.

The small Kilala jumped onto her mistress's shoulder and licked her cheek in comfort. She could sense Michonne's misery and it pained the demon to see her this way. The people they've grown so close to were now gone, with little to no way of finding them. The cat demon couldn't track them with all the dead bodies blocking the livings scent.

It was just the two of them now.

Just like in the beginning.

Michonne didn't have any choice but to go back to old habits.

It was only her and Kilala before, and they could do it again.

And as always, the cat demon followed obediently behind her.

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Kagome woke up a few minutes past sunrise in some kind of bedroom with unfamiliar items on the walls. The priestess screamed out in alarm as she sat up, with nothing but fear plaguing her mind.

"Mom," Shippo said calmingly, as he came into the room after hearing his mother wake up from down the hall. He kneeled next to the bed as Kagome tried to calm down after seeing a familiar face.

"Shippo," she said in relief before taking in her surroundings, "Where are we?" she asked as she stared at the unfamiliar room.

"A few miles away from the prison," Shippo told her, "I think it's the town Rick and Carol were in during their last run. We're in one of the houses"

Kagome's eyes suddenly widened as the memory of what happened flashed through her mind.

The prison being attacked.

Everyone fighting outside.

Her trying to get the others to safety.

"The Governor? Everyone? What happened?" Kagome asked with worry.

Shippo looked down to his feet miserably, "Hershel's dead." Kagome gasped and a few tears fell down her face, "The Governor is dead. I saw Michonne pierce him with her sword and some lady finished the job after that with a bullet to his head...But I don't know where everyone else is."

The priestess remembered the fleeting bus, "Our family didn't make it to the bus...Who knows where they are now."

The demon nodded before looking up at her and leaned over to wipe the tears that fell down his mother's cheeks, "Which is why you need to get better so we can go find them."

Kagome frowned, "But we don't even know where to start looking."

"We'll find them," Shippo promised her, "Beth wouldn't give up on me. And I'm not giving up on her. And Kami knows you're not going to give up on Daryl and Souta."

Kagome nodded, knowing that he was right.

The priestess had doubted her angel before when the group was separated at the farm, and the Kami's allowed them to find each other.

'We found each other before...And we'll do it again.'

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Souta scanned the woods from his spot on a tree limb.

Last night, when it got too dark to see, he and Sophia climbed one of the highest trees they could find and tied themselves on the limb using their jackets to keep from falling. His sister taught them that when in doubt, go up a tree since Walkers can't climb.

The only weapons they had were Souta's knives and Sophia's bow and arrows.

The only other items they possessed were the clothes they wore.

They couldn't survive on that alone.

But it did last them the night, so Souta took that as a win.

Sophia was still asleep, tied to the tree limb below Souta as he took watch for the last few hours.

Taking one last look around Souta untied himself from the branch climbed down to a tree limb next to Sophia, "Hey," he shook her shoulder, startling her awake. "Sorry," he apologized at her scared expression.

Sophia rubbed her eyes, remembering where they were, "What is it?"

"We're clear now," he told her, "We should get going."

The blonde nodded in understanding, before she untied herself and made her way down the tree. Souta followed behind her, taking one last look around before landing on the ground.

The young couple walked quietly for several minutes before Sophia heard familiar noise. She quickly took out one of her arrows and shot her bow at a dove resting on a branch.

Souta retrieved the dead bird and smiled, "Breakfast of champions."

"Do you know how to cook it?" she asked him, immune to the sight of seeing and holding a dead animal. It was amazing what you got used to over time when you survived on killing your own food.

He shrugged, "Not really. But as long as it's cooked in some way, it shouldn't hurt us."

Picking an open spot, Souta prepared a fire by rubbing two sticks together, which took time and a lot of patience, while Sophia de-feathered the dove and found a stick to cook the bird over the fire.

The meat was still a little bloody even after it was cooked, but it was warm and tasted decent.

"Not bad," Sophia praised Souta's cooking, "You'd make Daryl proud."

Souta frowned at the mention of the hunter, "Do you think he made it out?"

Sophia immediately nodded, "If anyone can, it'd be him. Your sister too."

He smiled at the last part, "I know you're right...I can't believe we didn't think of a meeting place just in case we'd all get separated," Souta cursed their stupidity.

"It was easier at the farm. We all knew the highway was the logical place to be," Sophia reminded him. "We didn't think about it this time."

Souta shrugged, "I guess we'll just keep going until we find them...We'll need supplies though. And we've cleared all the usual places in the area."

Sophia wiped her dirty hands on her dirty pants after she finished her meal, "Well then. We'll just have to look at the unusual places."

Souta wasn't really sure what she meant by that, but they were desperate. After covering their fire with some dirt to put it out, he reached for Sophia's hand. "Then let's get going."

The blonde smiled as she grabbed his hand and began their new journey.

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Beth looked over at Daryl, who hadn't uttered a word since they left the prison together.

He only stared into the fire that they'd made for the night as they sat on opposite ends of the flames. Every now and then the hunter would play with something that was hidden underneath his shirt, but Beth couldn't tell what it was.

It wasn't hard to figure out what was on his mind.

He was thinking about Kagome.

Just like she was thinking about Shippo and Maggie.

And her father.

Beth shook her head, trying not to dwell on what she couldn't change. Her father was gone, but the rest of her family was not. Maggie and Glenn would have definitely made it out. Shippo was also alive, that she knew for sure since she was still breathing. And every now and then, she'd feel it through their bond of his love for her.

Shippo was out there looking for her.

And she had to go find him so that everyone could be together again.

"We should do something," Beth told Daryl.

The hunter didn't respond.

Too depressed to do so.

Daryl had never felt like more of a failure in his life.

He failed Rick in fighting against the Governor.

He failed Hershel, who died in front of all of them.

He failed Souta, who he lost track of in the fight.

He failed Sophia, who he should have been watching better.

And worst of all, he failed Kagome.

The woman he loved.

She could be alive...But what if she wasn't?

She had been sick and weak during the attack.

God only knew what had happened to her.

Daryl couldn't bear to think about Kagome being dead.

"We aren't the only survivors," Beth kept talking, making Daryl finally look at her. "Maggie, Shippo, Kagome and the kids, and everyone are still out there." She stood up, "You're a tracker. You can track them."

Daryl didn't move and looked back at the fire.

"Come on," Beth urged him, "The sun will be up soon. If we head out now, we can." She stopped when it was obvious Daryl wasn't listening. She couldn't believe that Daryl was giving up like this. Beth glared at the hunter in disappointment, "Fine. If you won't track. I will."

She grabbed Daryl's knife from the ground and stormed off into the woods.

The hunter sighed as he slowly stood up, kicked dirt into the fire to put it out, and followed the blonde. He didn't have much choice but to follow Beth since she was the only connection he had left of the only good family he'd ever had.

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The next day, Kagome pouted as Shippo carried her on his back as they walked down the neighborhood street. "You could have left me at the house," she told him.

"By yourself?" the demon snorted, "Hell no. Besides, fresh air is good for you."

The priestess looked to the ground as they walked past a dead Walker, "Right...Fresh," she muttered.

The demon snickered at her sarcasm, "At least this way you can rest some more...I never got to take care of you like this before. Inuyasha was the one that had to do it."

"I had a bike too," Kagome reminded him.

"You mean when you didn't get a flat tire," Shippo reminded her of how easy that bike of hers kept messing up somehow.

The priestess smacked her son's shoulder, "You be nice."

The demon kept carrying his mother until they came across a green house. Its roof was broken so the fruit trees and plants were growing like crazy. Shippo remembered Rick mentioning something about this green house, and were glad some food was still growing.

Kagome and Shippo stocked up on as much fruit and vegetables as they could. After that, they went into one of the houses and managed to find some clean cloths. Kagome found some black pants and green tank top and light blue hoodie. Shippo found a blue shirt and a pair of jeans that barley fit him.

Once they were all set, Shippo carried his mother again and headed out of the neighborhood.

"Maybe we should get a car," Kagome suggested to him.

"Nah," Shippo told her, "Better this way. Easier to maneuver."

The priestess sighed, feeling very useless right now. She didn't have her bow and arrows with her anymore. She didn't even have a knife. Kagome shook her head and remembered what she always told the kids. 'You're never unarmed if you use your brain.'

As Shippo walked, Kagome couldn't help but run her arm against the cloth bracelet she wore that used to be a piece of Daryl's shirt. 'Please be safe,' she prayed for her angel.

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Carol was so happy to have found Lizzie, Mika, and Judith unharmed.

When she went back to the prison and saw what was left of the fight, she didn't know what to think. She didn't know if her daughter or the girls were safe or even alive.

None of that should have happened.

If Sesshōmaru had been there, the prison wouldn't have been attacked like this.

Carol was extremely angry at the demon lord as she searched for any survivors.

That's when she found the girls who led her to Tyreese.

Out of all the people that would have saved Lizzie and Mika, it had to be him.

From his reaction, Tyreese still didn't know that it was her that killed Karen and David.

She knew she had to tell him soon if it was going to be just them for a while.

'But we need to find a place first,' she reasoned before they all traveled into the woods with Tyreese, two young girls and a baby.

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Glenn was alone when he woke up.

He raided all of the supplies and weapons that he could find inside the cellblocks. All the knives and guns people had hidden, the riot gear from the prison guard, and he even found Kagome's bows and arrows. Glenn didn't know how to use it, but it felt wrong to just leave behind.

As he was about to leave the prison, Glenn was able to find one survivor in the prison wreckage.

A young woman named Tara.

She was with the Governor's group that caused all this mess, but unlike the rest of his followers she didn't want to fight them. She had stopped and hid herself away for most of the fight.

Glenn didn't know if Tara could be trusted, but he desperately needed help. He still felt weak from recovering from the virus, but he needed to get moving.

Hershel and Kagome always taught him that all he had to do was have a little faith.

So that's what he was going to do.

He was going to leave this place and find his family.

And most importantly, he was going to find Maggie.

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Maggie was happy and sad when she, Bob, and Sasha found the prison bus.

She was sad because none of the people on the bus survived.

Every single one of them had been turned into Walkers.

But she was also happy, because Glenn wasn't on the bus.

Neither was Beth or the kids.

In fact, none of her family was on the bus.

This meant that they were somewhere out there and all she had to do was find them.

Sasha voiced her doubts, but Bob was more supportive.

Either way it didn't matter.

Maggie was going to find Glenn.

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It had been about two days since the prison fell.

Both Souta and Sophia knew that the first thing they needed was supplies.

The first place they raided was an old arcade. There were four Walkers in the building, which they took down easily. In the back of the building was a breakroom for the workers of the arcade, where there was a snack and soda machines that hadn't been touched. They even managed to get clothes and backpacks since they were ticket prizes for the arcade. Sophia changed into a purple shirt with the arcades logo 'Game Go,' while Souta wore a blue one that said 'Get Your Game On.'

They both packed what they could and kept walking.

The young couple got lucky on their next find when they walked by a trailer park that had a tornado shelter. There were two jugs of water that was still good and four cans of spaghetti. There was even a flash light, a pack of batteries and a first aid kit.

The young couple stayed close to the main road as they walked, occasionally making small talk but knew they had to stay quiet. They didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves.

That's when they came across a group of dead bodies that had been recently attacked. They were next to a vehicle that had a few doors still open.

Three Walkers were feasting on their new meal. This allowed Souta and Sophia to sneak up on the undead creatures without much problem and killed them swiftly.

Souta looked at the car and realized it was still running. "Do you know how to drive?" he asked Sophia.

She shook her head, "All I know which one is the pedal and the brake."

He shrugged his shoulders in reply, "Good enough for me," he said before pulling a dead body away from the car's path.

Once they cleared the car, Sophia got into the driver seat while Souta took the seat next to her. After fiddling with the seat and figuring out how to adjust the wheel to her level, Sophia was able to put the car in drive and press on the gas pedal. They started slowly at first so Sophia could get used to the unfamiliar task, but she quickly adapted.

Feeling proud, Sophia pressed a little harder on the gas pedal and drove faster.

Souta was on the passenger side of the car watching the world go by as they drove.

Both of them couldn't help but smile at what they were able to accomplish today.

They couldn't wait to tell their family when they found them.

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After a full day of Shippo carrying her, Kagome was finally able to walk around on her own.

Both of them were carrying the supplies they've been salvaging.

The fox demon sighed, "Just like old times," he commented on the wilderness around them. "You. Me. Walking to an unknown destination...Always searching"

Kagome gave a sad smile, "We're missing a few people," she said while thinking of their family in the Feudal Era.

Shippo sensed his mother's sadness and draped an arm over her shoulder, "You'll always have me, Mom."

The priestess leaned her head down to her son's shoulder, "I know that...It's just...Time goes by and it's getting harder and harder to remember how life was for us back then."

"You don't have to tell me," Shippo told her, "After a few hundred years, everything begins to blur together...You get to meet new people, but time seems to pass by so quickly that they're gone in the next moment." Kagome frowned, not considering what that must be like for him. "But I wouldn't change a thing," her son assured her. "Life is full of meetings and partings...But that doesn't mean they're not worth it."

Kagome pulled back to look at her son, "Since when are you so optimistic?"

"My mother taught me," Shippo told her proudly.

The priestess shook her head in amusement, "Kiss up."

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Michonne smiled as she entered the living room of the house she found Rick and Carl hiding in.

Carl was already eating cereal, feeding a few pieces to Kilala as he ate.

It was pure luck that she stumbled upon Rick and Carl. She got to a low point, almost worried that she be just as faceless as the Walkers she dragged behind her. But just when things got tough, she found them.

Kilala was happy too. She loved Carl and Rick, just as much as her mistress did. And it was thanks to her that the trio of humans were able to sleep peacefully that night. The demon was rewarded by Rick, who had found a can of tuna earlier which Kilala ate giddily.

Rick had been recovering from his fight with the Governor. He was very broken in the beginning, which allowed Carl to do as he pleased. Since he'd lost his baby sister and two best friends, it was hard to blame him for acting the way he had.

Still, father and son eventually made amends for what had happened at the prison, just in time for Michonne and Kilala to arrive.

The sword wielder walked into the room, and began talking with Carl about random things. One was about the shirt she found, another was about soy milk. They were random topics, but it got Carl smiling again.

Then Carl mentioned something about Judith.

The image of her bloody baby carrier flashed before him

His baby sister who he knew was dead.

And Carl's smile went away.

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When Glenn woke up after passing out from exhaustion, he could feel the ground shaking.

It took him a few moments to realize that he was in the back of an armored truck. Tara was there too, watching over him as he slept.

Glenn struggled to get up, but Tara urged him to be still.

"Did we pass a bus?" Glenn quickly asked her. When Tara answered yes, he quickly began to bang on the window of the truck to get the driver to stop.

When the army vehicle finally pulled over, Glenn was greeted by a large muscular red headed army guy. A small but tough looking Latina chick. And some other guy that had a mullet style haircut.

Ignoring them, Glenn grabbed his supplies and began to walk away.

"Where the hell are you going?" the redhead man, who was the obvious leader demanded. Glenn continued to ignore him. "Where the hell's he going?" he asked Tara this time, but she also ignored the question since she owed a debt to Glenn. He could have left her to die after what had happened, but he didn't. So she was going to get him back to his family as repayment. Luckily, she had been writing down every street they've gone down since they were picked up on her arm.

"Look, I don't know what your lady friend's told you about the special nature of the mission we're on. But this shit is time sensitive and we're already way behind schedule." The redheaded army man got in front of him to make Glenn stop walking. "I need you to turn your ass around and get back in the truck."

Glenn glared at the man and tried to get passed him, "I gotta go."

"It seems like neither one of you's been paying close enough attention to the hell on earth we've been living in," the man said as he blocked Glenn again. "So let me tell you how to best avoid winding up just another dead-alive prick." It took all Glenn had not to snort at the man. "You find strong, like minded comrades and you stay stuck together like wet on water," Abraham continued. "We need people. The more the better. We need each other, partner. Even with all that gear on your shoulder, you won't last a night. Not by yourself."

"I'll take my chances," Glenn stated simply before trying to walk around Abraham for the third time.

The red headed army man placed a hand on Glenn's chest, "I'm gonna have to suggest that you hold the hell up," he said in warning. "Believe it or not, the fate of the entire damn human race might depend on it."

Glenn shoved Abraham's hand off of him, "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked completely baffled. "Who is this guy?" he asked Tara.

"I'm Sergeant Abraham Ford," the redhead introduced himself. "And these are my companions Rosita Espinosa and Dr. Eugene Porter. We're on a mission to get Eugene to Washington, DC. He's a scientist and he knows exactly what caused this mess."

Glenn looked over to the guy with the mullet haircut with a raised brow, before running his had through his hair. Honestly, he didn't know what to think of what he just heard. The odds of him running into someone who knew exactly what was going on in this world was pretty low. But he was going to play along, "All right. So what happened?" he asked them.

"It's classified," Eugene answered quickly.

"He'd been talking to the muckety-mucks in Washington on a satellite phone," Abraham interrupted, "The past couple weeks, nobody's been picking up on the other end...We saw you handled those corpses back there...We could use your help."

Glenn shook his head, "Sorry," he said and walked away.

Tara followed obediently behind him. An irritated Abraham began to follow them. "I had to get us off that road," Tara quickly explained to Glenn, "You were passed out and we were out of bullets. But I."

Before Tara could finish her sentence, a car began to come down the road from the direction they just came from.

Everyone, minus Eugene who was being guarded by Rosita, quickly aimed an armed weapon towards the approaching vehicle, preparing for whoever was approaching them.

The car quickly stopped a few yards away from them. The people on the road couldn't see the driver or anyone else inside, but the driver and front passenger doors suddenly opened.

The army people and Tara were surprised when two kids, who barley looked like teenagers, came out of the car.

"Glenn!" Souta called out as he exited the driver side of the car. Sophia turned off the car and came out the passenger side of the car. She switched with Souta over an hour ago so they'd both get experience driving the car.

The Korean man smiled in delighted shock as the two kids ran up to greet him, both of them ignoring the strangers around him. "Souta! Sophia!" Glenn greeted in relief as he ran over and embraced them both in a tight hug. He quickly pulled back to inspect them for any injuries, "Are you both okay?"

Souta nodded, "Were fine," he assured his Korean brother, "We couldn't get to the bus. But we got out before too many Walkers showed up."

Glenn let out a sigh of relief that they didn't run in to too much trouble. He was mentally praising Kagome, Daryl and the others for preparing Souta and Sophia for whatever may happen out there. Glenn wasn't sure how he felt about telling kids that they might find themselves on their own one day, but he couldn't be happier about it now.

"Do you know where everybody else is?" Souta asked Glenn, hoping that he might know something that he and Sophia didn't.

Glenn shook his head regretfully, "No. But we'll find them," he assured the young Higurashi. "And until then, I think Kagome would want you to take care of this," he said while giving Souta his sister's bow and arrows.

Souta looked at the bow and arrows and handled them with the upmost care. The thought of his sister being out their without her most skilled weapon was unsettling to him.

Sophia frowned at the sad expression on Souta's face and put a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "You're just borrowing it until we find her. Then you'll give them back," she reminded him.

It took a few moments for Souta nod in agreement before putting the bow and arrow around his shoulder.

Tara, Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene watched the scene in bewilderment. These two children had been on their own for days and yet they seemed perfectly fine. 'How is that possible?' Tara wondered in bewilderment.

That was when Sophia noticed the people standing around them, "Who are they?" she asked the Korean.

"That's Tara," Glenn introduced his unexpected aid, "She helped me get out at the prison. The rest are...Well, they're not important right now. We need to go find the bus."

The two kids looked at the army people warily but agreed with Glenn, and began to walk back down the road with Tara right behind them.

"It's a waste of time," Abraham voiced following behind them, "Tara told us what went down. There is zero chance you will ever find your wife and friends again. Alive or dead."

Souta turned around glared at the tall army man, and cursed at him in Japanese, **"Fuck you, asshole."**

Sophia did her best not to react to what Souta had said, glad that he taught her and Carl how to say swear words in Japanese.

Abraham raised a brow at the kid but kept talking, "Look you three were lucky to find each other. Take that as a win. Mainly because, sorry to tell all of you, your families are gone."

"Family. Not families," Sophia corrected from over her shoulder, "And you have no idea who they are. They're out there looking for us. So we have to go and find them too."

"You don't know that," Abraham said bluntly, "There's no need for you all to die too."

Glenn had been silent throughout the exchange and continued to listen as Abraham kept ranting on how they shouldn't even bother looking for their family. When he finally had enough, he stopped walking, dropped his bag, slowly turned to Abraham and punched him in the face so hard that he fell to the ground.

"Hey," Rosita protested the assault.

"Thank you," Souta said, grateful that Abraham finally shut up.

Tara pulled Sophia out of the way instinctively, since she reminded her of her niece who died along with her sister at the prison. The young blonde allowed the woman to do this but still smiled at Glenn for what he'd done.

"My wife is alive. Our sister Kagome and Sophia's mother are alive," Glenn spat at Abraham. "And we're gonna find them," he stated before turning to the others, "Let's go."

Abraham got off the ground as they began to walk away, "You son of a bitch!" he yelled as he tackled Glenn to the ground and began wrestling each other.

Both Tara and Rosita tried to Abraham off of Glenn but were both pushed back.

Souta, who knew he had to stop this, walked up to the men, pulled out his knife, grabbed Abraham by the hair and put the blade against his throat, making the redhead freeze his actions.

"Let him go," Souta hissed at Abraham.

Rosita pulled out her firearm and aimed it at the young Japanese boy.

Sophia responded by pulling out her bow and aiming an arrow at Rosita. "Don't even think about it," she warned the woman.

Tara stared at the standoff unable to comprehend what was happening. At first she thought these kids needed protection. It's what she always assumed since the dead started rising.

Protect the young.

But after what Tara just witnessed, she was starting to see things differently.

Souta and Sophia had been trained to survive in this world.

It was a little terrifying to see it firsthand.

"I said, let him go," Souta repeated his order when Abraham made no move to release Glenn.

The redheaded army man slowly let Glenn go, "You got some big balls for a little guy," he genuinely complemented in slight amusement.

Souta shook his head and pulled his knife back once Glenn scooted away from danger. Rosita lowered her weapon and so did Sophia.

Meanwhile, Eugene, who was waiting by the truck, had spotted a Walkers coming their way. Since everyone was so busy, the non-weapon expert took matters into his own hands.

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Shippo and Kagome continued run through the woods until they were clear of a herd of Walkers they came across. It was only thanks to Shippo's power of illusions that they didn't have to fight any of them.

That was over three hours ago.

Neither of them knew where they now.

But they kept walking.

"We need to find a place to camp soon," Kagome voiced out.

"No, we need to keep going," Shippo argued with her. He needed to find his mate, who was feeling depressed, no matter how much she tried to push the feeling back.

The priestess pulled Shippo's arm to a halt him, "We haven't stopped for a while. Even you must be exhausted."

"I'm fine," the fox demon tried to protest.

Kagome folded her arms in disproval, "Beth would want you to rest...We need to play it smart if we want to find them." Shippo opened his mouth to argue, "Don't make me ground you," she threatened.

The fox demon growled under his breath, "Fine."

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As Abraham attempted to fix the truck that Eugene messed up with his inexperienced gun firing, everyone else was forced to wait to see what their transportation situation was currently in. The group of Walkers that attempted to attack them were easily taken down thanks to the firearms the truck held.

"Any gas in that car you two came in?" Tara asked the kids.

Sophia shook her head, "We were running on fumes until we found y'all."

Rosita looked down at her feet in disappointment and found a picture on the ground, "Is this yours?" she asked Glenn as she handed a picture of a woman sleeping.

Souta caught a glimpse of Maggie in the picture as Glenn snatched it back. He understood how worried he must be about her, having feeling the same about Kagome and Daryl.

"Sorry about your ride," Glenn told Abraham, returning his firearm to him. "Hope you guys make it to Washington...Souta, Sophia, let's go," he gestured for the kids to follow him.

Sophia nodded and handed the hand gun to Eugene who reluctantly accepted it, "You should really practice with this," she told him before following Glenn.

Souta handed his borrowed rifle to Abraham, "Sorry about the whole knife thing," he said in passing before catching up to Sophia and grabbing her hand as they walked.

Tara watched the trio leave and handed her borrowed gun to Rosita, "Wait for me."

Rosita looked from the retreating group, to the non-working vehicle and sighed before following the group. "What else are we gonna do?" she said to her friends before catching up to Tara and the kids. She could hear Abraham protesting but briefly ignored him, "Where did you guys learn to shoot like that?" she asked the kids.

"My sister and her boyfriend taught us about arrows and knives," Souta told them, "My blood brother's dad taught us how to fire a gun."

Tara raised a brow, "How old are you two?"

"Thirteen," the answered together.

Rosita and Tara looked at each other than the kids in amazement as they continued to follow the kids and Glenn.

Eventually Abraham and Eugene followed them.

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The hunter had been with the encouraging and optimistic blonde for days. They'd endured the herd of Walkers while being held inside a car trunk. Survived hunger by feasting on a rattle snack. And dealing with thought of the ones they loved being out there with no way to find them.

Beth may have been hopeful but she was also very tired.

She wanted just one moment where everything would just stand still for a moment.

Beth needed a drink.

Daryl didn't know why he was putting up with Beth's suggestion of finding some booze.

Wanting to find a drink after all they've went through.

He figured what the hell, it was something to do.

On dumb luck they stumbled on a bar at a golf club resort where Beth found a bottle of Peach Snopes. Right before she was about to take a drink, Daryl stopped her.

The hunter thought this whole side adventure they were doing was ridiculous, but if Beth was going to get drunk, she was going to do it the right way.

That's when Daryl dragged her to a place in the woods he and Michonne found once. Sure enough what he was looking for was still there. The hunter's father had a place like this, and knew exactly what was inside of it.

Moonshine.

A whole case of Moonshine.

Beth made a comment about how bad Moonshine could make you go blind. "Ain't nothin' worth seein' out there anyway," the hunter reminded her.

The blonde rolled her eyes, "There's my husband. I'd like to see him. His mother too...Huh," she said as a thought crossed her mind. A thought that made her look Daryl up and down then made her snicker out loud.

"What?" Daryl asked, wondering what was so funny.

"Shippo's my husband," Beth said in amusement, "He's Kagome's son...You're with Kagome, so that kind of makes you my unofficial father in-law."

Daryl glared at the blonde, "Don't call me that. Drink your damn booze."

Beth stopped laughing long enough to take her first drink.

It tasted odd...but it was still good.

After a while, she talked Daryl into drinking too. She even taught Daryl the game 'Never Have I Ever.' Both of them just enjoying each other's company and having some fun. And trying to get to know each other better too. The hunter even talked about his family a little, and how his father had a place like this. Beth had always admired Daryl, even back on the farm. He was brave and strong, things she'd never dreamed she'd become. Kagome helped her with that by teaching her how to fight along with Maggie and Carol. Beth was happy to consider Daryl and Kagome a part of her family since she loved them both so much. It was actually because of them that she was able to find the love of her life.

As they continued to play their game, Beth said the wrong thing.

Never have I ever been to jail.

Beth thought it was a harmless assumption, since her dad had been in a holding cell a few times in his life. Heck, even Maggie had been arrested once for shop lifting.

Daryl didn't see it as harmless.

Even though the hunter was used to people judging him all his life, Daryl thought this group he called a family was different. It made him furious to think that Beth thought that about him. He briefly wondered if Kagome thought the same thing about him too.

Beth didn't know if it was because Daryl was drunk, but she'd never seen the hunter so angry before. Beth tried to calm him down, even when he dragged her outside to shoot at a Walker, clamming he was having fun trying to show her how to shoot his crossbow. Having enough of this, Beth went over to stab the Walker and kill it.

"Why'd you do that?" a drunk and angry Daryl asked, "I was havin' fun."

"No, you were being a jackass," she snapped at him, "If anyone found my dad."

"Don't," Daryl warned her, "That ain't remotely the same."

Beth glared at him, "Killing them is not supposed to be fun."

"What do you want from me, girl?" Daryl snarled at her face, "Huh?"

"I want you to stop acting like you don't give a crap about anything," Beth demanded, "Like nothing we went through matters. Kagome. Souta. Shippo. Maggie. Rick. All of them. They're lost. Not dead. But you act like none of them meant anything to you. It's bullshit!"

Daryl huffed as he glared at the blonde, "Is that what you think?"

"It's how you're acting," she accused him, "You think I don't know how you feel. My husband is out there. And I don't know where he is."

"You think I don't wish I knew where my wife was?!" Daryl snapped back at her. Beth's eyes widened, never hearing the hunter refer to the priestess as his wife. "Your whole family's missing, all you can do is just go looking for hooch like some dumb college bitch."

"Screw you," Beth retorted, "You don't get it."

Daryl got in her face again, "You don't get it! Everyone we know is dead!"

"That's not true," Beth replied and showed him her mark. "Shippo is alive. Otherwise I wouldn't be standing here. And do you really think that he'd leave the prison without Kagome?"

The hunter wanted to hope but he was so used to disappointment that he'd dare not even try. "But we ain't never gonna see e'm again! Shippo! Rick!...You ain't never gonna see Maggie again!"

Beth tried her best not to whimper, and tried to grab the hunter's arm, "Daryl just stop."

"No!" Daryl pushed her away. "The Governor rolled right up to our gates...Maybe if I wouldn't have stopped looking...Maybe 'cause I gave up. That's on me."

Beth could tell by the hunters tone that he was breaking down. That he took the blame for what had happened at the prison. She didn't know why he felt this way. If a powerful demon lord couldn't find the Governor, what made Daryl think he could?

It wasn't Daryl's fault what happened.

It was just a terrible thing, caused by a terrible person.

"Daryl," Beth tried to speak to him.

"No," the hunter continued, "And your dad...Maybe...Maybe I could have done something...And Kagome she'd...she'd still be here."

Beth wrapped her arms around Daryl's back in a hug as he cried. Burying her own tears behind the hunter's vest. The blonde whimpered a few times before she felt a sense of comfort from her mark.

Shippo felt her pain and was trying to sooth her.

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The demon fox took deep breaths as he tried to comfort his mate from the distance between them. He wish he knew a way to know exactly where she was, 'But for now this is all I can do,' he thought in regret.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern as they tried to set up a camp in a living room of house they just found. It wasn't all that secure, so they needed to exit quickly if necessary.

The fox demon looked up, "It's Beth."

"Oh," the priestess said in understanding, "Is she okay?"

"She was scared...Now she's upset," Shippo informed her as he before looked down at his feet, "I should have been with her when the Governor attacked."

"You were," Kagome reminded him, "You were there when she needed you most."

"But I should have stayed," Shippo said with tears in his eyes. "My first instinct was to find you when it should have been with her...I'm a terrible mate."

"Oh Shippo," Kagome went over and held her son, letting him cry on her shoulder. "I know I can't fully understand demons when it comes to their mates...But you and I both know that even a demon can't be everywhere at once." She rubbed his back soothingly, "I know you want to prove that you're a perfect mate for Beth...But Shippo, there is no such thing...You and Beth will make mistakes. You'll have silly fights over nothing. You'll even make each other upset sometimes...But in the end, you understand each other. You love each other...And you'll be together again."

The fox demon looked up at the priestess, "Thanks Mom...I needed that."

" **Any time, my son,"** she told him in Japanese and kissed his forehead.

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It was night now at the shake where Beth and Daryl were staying. After they both had a good cry, they continued to enjoy the moonshine.

"I get why my dad stopped drinking," Beth spoke suddenly as they sat on the porch. "Wish I could feel this way all the time...That's bad."

Daryl nodded in agreement, and looked at the blonde in regret, "Sorry about before. I'm a dick when I'm drunk."

Beth nodded, "We both needed a good cry...It's good to have a nice cry on occasion."

The hunter snorted, "Who told you that?"

Beth gave him an accusing smirk, "Your wife."

Daryl would have been embarrassed if the wasn't already a little buzzed on the moonshine. Instead, he reached beneath his shirt and pulled out the hollowed Shikon Jewel. In all the chaos, he had forgotten to give it back to Kagome when she got out of A Block.

The blonde saw the jewel and smiled, "You know Kagome would say yes if you'd ask her to marry you."

The hunter huffed, "Yah I know...It's why I never asked." Beth raised a brow questioningly. Daryl gaze went from the jewel to out in the distance, reminiscing an old memory. "Merle had this dealer. This janky little white guy. A tweaker...One day we were over xat his house watching TV...Wasn't even noon yet and we were all wasted. Merle was high...We were watching this show and Merle was talkin' all this dumb stuff about it. And he wouldn't let up...Merle never could. Turns out it was tweaker's kids' favorite show. And he never sees his kids, so he felt guilty about it or somethin'. So he punches Merle in the face...So I started hittin' the tweaker, like, hard. As hard as I can...Then he pulls a gun, sticks it right here," he points the side of his head at the temple. Beth unintentionally gulps at the thought. "He says, 'I'm gonna kill you, bitch.' So Merle pulls his gun on him. Everyone's yellin'. I'm yellin'...I thought I was dead...Over a dumb cartoon about a talkin' dog."

"How'd you get out of it?" Beth couldn't help but ask.

"The tweaker punched me in the gut," Daryl replied, "I puked...They both started laughin' and forgot all about it...You want to know what I was before all this?" He looked back at the jewel, thinking about its previous owner. "I was just driftin' around with Merle. Doing whatever he said we were gonna do doin' that day...I was nobody...Nothin'...Just a redneck asshole with an even bigger asshole for a brother...That's why I can't ask her."

Beth was silent for a few moments, "Hmm," she finally said, "I was right...Your wife's stories are way better than yours."

Daryl didn't reply to the remark as he tucked the jewel back behind his shirt.

"And you really don't know Kagome all that well if you honestly think that would bother her...In fact, I bet you if you guys met before all this, she'd have still fallen for you," Beth said confidently. "You both would have met in a diner or something. Your eyes would have met from across the room. And the moment they clash, that'd be it for the both of you."

Daryl snorted at the idea, "Nah. For you and Shippo maybe...Not us...Kagome she'd have probably yelled at me for some stupid reason."

"Was that how y'all met in the beginning?" the blonde asked him, "Back when you guys were at the Quarry."

The hunter looked up at the moon, as he replayed the memory of the day he met Kagome. "Her and Souta just got to the camp with Glenn and T-Dog...Lori was introducin' them to everybody. Barley glanced over at Merle and me...But Kagome waved at us...That's when she saw my crossbow, then walked over to ask me what kind it was...I didn't answer and told her to buzz off." Beth could picture the whole thing in her mind and figured that Kagome didn't take Daryl's attitude to well. She must have been right since Daryl began to smile, "She said, 'I was just asking. You don't have to be a jerk about it' and stormed away sayin her bow was better anyway...I didn't think she'd come back the next day. Askin' if she could go huntin' with Merle and me. Like our first encounter didn't faze her at all...Didn't know why she kept comin' back even when Merle was being his dumb ass self...But she did...With a smile on her face."

Beth couldn't help but smile at the story, "Sounds like you loved her from the beginning."

Daryl didn't reply but he didn't think he loved Kagome at that moment.

It was awhile after that.

When they were both in his truck on the way to the CDC and Kagome fell asleep wearing his faded red shirt.

Daryl never thought of anything as beautiful before, until he saw her in that moment. When someone was comfortable enough to be so vulnerable in front of him. He didn't even know it was love he was feeling at the time.

But now Daryl knew and was finally able to tell her that.

In time...Maybe...The hunter could ask Kagome to be his wife.

But he had to find her first.

As Daryl was deep in thought, Beth came up with another fun thing they could do to distract themselves from their situation. "We should burn this place down," she told him.

Daryl thought the idea over before he stood up on the porch, "We're gonna need more booze."

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The sun had only been up for about twenty minutes when Kagome and Shippo came across some railroad tracks.

They walked the path for a few more minutes, not expected to find anything.

That's when they saw it.

The sign on the side of the track.

"Sanctuary for all. Unity for all. Those who arrive, survive," Shippo quoted the poster above a map. All of the railroad tracks were colored and all leading to one location.

Terminus.

"It sounds too good to be true," Kagome stated her opinion.

The fox demon looked to his mother, "You don't buy it?"

"I'm not sure," the priestess admitted, "I'd rather see the people themselves. At least then I can tell if they're lying or not."

Shippo couldn't help but agree with that. "You think the others might go there?"

Kagome brushed her fingers against the map, tracing the multiple colors that all lead to Terminus, "Only one way to find out."

 **Phew. That was a lot of scenes to cover. This was a difficult thing to write because I kept constantly changing on who the Inuyasha characters would be paired up with and who'd they run into first. Hopefully my final decisions turn out to be decent. So what do you think? Next time: More wandering to Terminus.**

 **See You Next Year My Readers (Only One Week Away)**


	27. But Now Found

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Happy New Year Everybody!**

 **Thank you for the reviews: Altiria-Aty, darkangel0212, MOONWOLF1234, Guest, NicoleR85 you guys have an awesome new year. The same for you Aqotahimik, Jacquelyn Frost, aquarius marvell, NaRuKo-InuTaiSHo-XD and all my readers and supporters.**

 **Warning: Just like last chapter there is going to be some scene jumping.**

Disclaimer: I no own. So please don't sue. Otherwise I'd be sad because of you...What? That kind of rhymed...Shut up.

Chapter Twenty Seven: But Now Found

Beth looked through the top of the crossbow, trying to follow Daryl's instructions, "Are we close?"

"Almost done," Daryl advised, trying to look over her shoulder to see if it was aimed at the right target.

"How do you know?" she asked unsure as she adjusted holding the heavy crossbow.

"The signs are all there," the hunter told her, "Just got to know how to read 'em."

Beth lowered the bow and looked at the ground, unsure of what to look for. "What are we tracking?" she asked him curiously.

"You tell me," he replied.

The blonde turned her head to glare at the hunter, "Really?"

Daryl shrugged at her gaze, "You wanted to learn. Said you wanted to do some family bondin'."

Beth shook her head in mild annoyance and looked back at the ground, trying to guess what she was seeing. "Well, something came through here," she pointed to the ground that was disturbed but the pattern was strange. "The pattern's all zig-zaggy...It's a Walker," she identified both excited and proud of herself.

"It could be a drunk," Daryl suggested to her.

Beth shook her head in disagreement, "Nope. A Walker," she smiled over at him, "I'm getting good at this. Soon your daughter in-law will be all grown up."

Daryl glared at her, "Don't call yourself that."

"Nope," she refused, "It's what I am. Like it or not Daryl Dixon, you're stuck with me."

The hunter shook his head at the comment, "Whatever. Keep on trackin'."

Beth smiled as she went to follow the trail until she found the Walker they'd been tracking. As she aimed the crossbow, trying to walk quietly as she could, she wasn't paying attention where she was walking.

And stepped right onto an animal trap.

"Ah," Beth screamed out in pain.

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"Ahhhh," Shippo screamed as he leaned down to grab his ankle in the middle of the tracks.

Kagome looked over and ran down to her son in a panic, "What? Did you hurt your ankle?" she asked not seeing what the problem was.

"It's not me," the fox demon told her through his teeth, "It's Beth. She's hurt."

The priestess eyes widened in fear.

Beth was hurt.

Was she being attacked?

Was she fighting against someone?

Did a Walker get her?

'What is going on?' Kagome thought with worry about the unknown.

After a few moments, Shippo moved his ankle and sighed in relief. "It's okay...She's okay," he said out loud, although Kagome couldn't tell if he was talking to her or to himself.

The priestess felt so sorry for her fox demon son in that moment. If she had been that anxious about the event, Shippo must have felt a hundred times worse. 'My poor baby,' Kagome thought as she leaned down and grabbed her son's face, "We're going to find her."

The fox demon nodded, "I know...And Daryl and Souta too."

Kagome smiled, "Of course them too."

Unfortunately, Shippo's screams alerted some nearby Walkers of their locations.

"We've got to move," the priestess told her son as they stood up and began running from the danger of the undead.

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It had been a few days after Beth got her foot injury.

And far away from all of that was a familiar prison now in ruins.

The flames that had covered the prison had finally died down.

A majority of the Walkers that had once been there had moved on once they realized that there was no food for them.

Others had continued to walk around waiting for something to catch their attention.

There was always a stray meal that would come into their path.

All they had to do was wait.

Sure enough, a living being walked into the court yard of the prison.

The Walkers all snarled at the first meal they'd seen in a good long time.

The living creature didn't mind the undead, as he halted in his steps to take in the scene around him.

Everyone who survived this surprise attack was now gone.

That much was clear.

He also took note of the dead corpses that tainted this land.

The Governor's corpse had been one of them.

"So he never left Georgia," Sesshōmaru said to no one in particular, as he inspected the body. "The sword woman had gotten to you first," thought in a rare moment of fury, "How fortunate for you."

It was he that should have found this man that hurt Sophia and Carol.

He should have been the one to end the Governor's life.

The demon lord couldn't even bring the pathetic human back to have the pleasure of frightening him before giving him his demise.

Walkers began to surround the demon, as their ravenous hunger consumed their only concept of thought.

Sesshōmaru looked at the corpses in anger before he used his poisonous claw whip to split the unsuspecting Walkers in half while other's heads were chopped in half.

When the whip retreated back into the demons claws, his gazed turned over to the prison.

That's when he picked up a familiar scent.

It was faint.

A week old at most.

But it was enough for Sesshōmaru to start walking in that direction, leaving the deserted prison.

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Daryl cursed under his breath.

How could he have been such an idiot?

How was he here now, in the middle of the road by himself sitting at a crossroad?

The answer was all because of a stupid stray dog.

The hunter and Beth were eating some food they found at a funeral home. A food stash that had been left by someone else. They'd been talking about how maybe they'd stay for a while to make it work with the people who were staying at the funeral home. Beth said how there were still good people in the world, and they should be given a chance.

It sounded like something Kagome would say.

Daryl couldn't help but have a little faith.

But when their meal was interrupted by the alarm of cans on the string outside, the hunter assumed that it had been a dog they'd seen earlier that day.

But what greeted him when he opened the door was a herd of Walkers.

Daryl told Beth to run and that he'd meet her at the road.

They both got away from the house unscratched.

But Beth had been taken.

Kidnapped by people in a black car with a white cross on the back.

Daryl ran after the car, following the trail on the road thanks to the leaves that were scattered all over it.

He ran all night until the sun came up and he came to the crossroad.

He couldn't tell which direction the car went.

He lost the trail.

The hunter fell to the ground in defeat.

He'd just lost another family member.

And it was all his fault.

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Glenn walked ahead of the rest of the group as they stayed on the train tracks.

Souta, Sophia, and Tara all walked with Eugene in the middle, while Rosita and Abraham were following behind them standing guard.

"I'm well aware it sounds bananas," Eugene spoke to the people next to him. "But looking at the fossil record, knowing what I know about this infection, you cannot say for certain it isn't what killed off the dinosaurs."

Sophia looked at Eugene skeptically, "So you're saying that at some point in time that there was undead T-Rex?"

"It's possibility," Eugene told her, "But is that I believe what happened? No."

"An undead T-Rex...That sounds both terrifying," Souta voiced, "But kind of cool too."

"Mostly terrifying," Tara gave her opinion.

"It's enjoyable as hell to think about an undead Ankylosaur going after a Diplodocus. That there is a video game with a preorder," Eugene stated his opinion.

Souta and Sophia snickered at the thought. They'd never met anyone like Eugene before. He had a unique way of talking, but they thought he was funny.

The other adults didn't think so, since they all thought that Eugene's rantings were a little annoying.

Tara rolled her eyes and spotted something shinny on the rail.

A small clean coin.

"Oh hell yeah," Eugene smiled at the find, "A few more of those, a little aluminum foil and some bleach, you got yourself some volts, sister," he praised to Tara. "That's a homemade battery."

Unsure of how else to reply to that, Tara gave the coin to Eugene, whose eyes lit up like a kid who got everything on his wish list on Christmas. "For reals?" he asked her trying to hide his excitement.

"For reals," Tara told him, thinking it wasn't that big a deal.

"Much obliged," Eugene said in appreciation as he accepted the coin.

They continued to walk trying to keep up the pace with Glenn.

When it got dark, they finally stopped and laid down on the grass next to the train tracks to camp.

Souta wanted to lay next to Sophia, but Tara and Rosita convinced her to lay next to them instead. The young Higurashi frowned, not liking being this far away from Sophia when they were out in the open like this, but he took a spot next to Glenn and Eugene without complaint. Tara and Abraham volunteered to stay on watch for the tonight.

"So tell me," Rosita told Sophia as they laid a few blankets on the ground, "Has Souta kissed you yet?"

Sophia was glad it was dark otherwise the woman would have seen her blush. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the guys were already laying on the ground trying to get some sleep. None of them were paying attention, "Ye-yes," she admitted, "But only on the cheek...He can be shy sometimes, so he doesn't do it a lot."

Rosita smiled at how cute Sophia was to admit that her crush kissed her. It reminded of her when she was that age and having a crush on a boy. "I can tell you like him a lot...Maybe you should try kissing him."

The blonde thought it over, never really considering that before.

Wasn't it the boy's job to do the kissing?

Or was she wrong?

The next morning was an early start for everyone.

Sophia, Souta, Tara, Eugene, Rosita and Abraham continued to walk trying to keep up the pace with Glenn. Eugene continued talking about the battery that they could make and how they could share it.

That's when they saw it.

Another sign for Terminus.

But this one was different.

It had a message underneath it written blood.

Walker blood. This they knew from the cut open Walker laying in front of the sign.

'Glenn, go to Terminus – Maggie, Sasha, and Bob.'

"Oh my Kami," Souta said in surprise and relief, "They were here."

"They were here," Sophia cheered as she, Glenn, and Souta sprinted down the tracks. Tara, Eugene, Rosita, and Abraham struggled to keep up with them.

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Carol glanced over at Tyreese who held Judith close to his chest as they walked down the train tracks.

After what they went through with Lizzie and Mika...After burying those two little girls, they felt worse than before.

Carol kept cursing herself inwardly for not listening to Sophia, Souta and Carl when they warned her about Lizzie's mental state. The adults, herself included, just passed Lizzie's behavior off as grieving. Sophia was smart enough to keep her guard up around the younger girl.

Thinking about her little girl was painful every moment she'd been away.

Carol had no idea where her baby was.

If she was alive or gone.

Or worse...if she was a Walker.

The mere thought made her shutter.

But she told herself to suck it up and keep moving.

Carol didn't know what was at the end of the train tracks, but she did know one thing.

She wouldn't stay.

Not when Sophia was out there.

She let others search for Sophia before.

But not this time.

This time, she was going to find her daughter all on her own.

Tyreese agreed that they'd both go to Terminus together, even after he found out about what she had done to Karen.

He just couldn't bear the thought of losing someone else.

The only thing that was keeping him together was Judith, who he was holding in his arms. Tyreese was going to protect this child no matter what.

Carol allowed him to do so, and briefly wondered how long their alliance would last.

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Rick was walking ahead of Michonne and Carl, trying to think about the supplies they had left in their bags.

They had to leave the house they were staying at in a hurry, due to a group of men that came in who were obviously trouble. Luckily Rick escaped the house while Michonne and Carl were scavenging with Kilala. Unfortunately, he did have to kill one of the men who saw him in the house before he could get away.

As Rick was thinking about what happened, a small Kilala jumped up onto his shoulder and rubbed her face against his cheek. Rick petted the small demon, glad that she and Michonne was here with him and Carl.

"What do you think? A day's worth of water left?" he asked the cat demon. Kilala meowed in reply, figuring that it sounded about right. "Thought so. We're lucky it's cooled off a little bit, but." Rick turned to see if Michonne and Carl were listening, but they were busy trying to balance themselves on the side of the tracks. "What are y'all doing?" he asked them.

"Winning a bet," Carl answered confidently.

"In your dreams," Michonne replied to the young Grimes.

"I'm still on," Carl tried to say but almost lost his balance.

Michonne laughed as she kept her balance, "Spoke to soon wise guy."

Rick smiled at the sight and looked to Kilala, "Now we have two goofballs to look after."

Kilala purred in amusement.

Michonne eventually lost her balance after attempting to knock Carl over, making him win the candy bar that she had.

Rick smiled at the scene. Happy that his son was having some fun despite everything that happened. Michonne was good with his boy, and understood that he couldn't be Carl's friend and his father at the same time.

Kilala looked from the older Grimes to her mistress and wondered when the two humans would realize that both of them were attracted to each other.

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Kagome followed the train tracks with Shippo following obediently at her side. They managed to elude the Walkers from the other day, and killed any stray ones that came into their path.

It always felt wrong to not put all of the Walker bodies to rest, but if they were outnumbered, even with their skills, it was smarter to run away.

As the days went on, Kagome couldn't help but wonder how everyone was fairing.

We're they struggling out in the wilderness like they were from day to day?

Or did they find a safe place to hold up?

Did they have enough supplies and weapons?

Or were they struggling for food?

The priestess did her best not to show her worriers, but the fox demon could smell them.

"They're fine," Shippo told her. "Everyone knows how to take care of themselves out here."

This routine of theirs, one being worried while the other one assures them was becoming a bit of a habit for them.

"I know," Kagome replied, "But it doesn't stop me from worrying."

The priestess hoped that everyone was safe where ever he was. That they were staying warm at night and getting enough to eat during the day.

Kagome's mind slowly drifted to Daryl, 'Please be safe my angel.'

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Daryl hated this group.

These men were the scum of the earth.

He could tell just by looking at them.

They had found him on the road.

The Claimers.

A few of them wanted his stuff, but the leader of the group thought he'd fit in with them.

That man was dead wrong.

Daryl wasn't like them.

These men didn't give a shit about anyone but themselves. They claimed what they wanted, and they'd kill in order to get it.

But Daryl had a family and the woman he loved to look for, and he couldn't do that alone.

He'd tolerate these Claimers for now, but when the moment comes, he was going to high tail it out of there.

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Glenn, Sophia, and Souta were all speed walking down the train tracks, desperate to catch up with Maggie, Sasha and Bob.

"Hold up!" Abraham called out to them to make them stop. "We're stopping here," he said pointing to the tower next to the tracks.

"Stop?" Souta said confused.

"Tired is slow," Abraham told them, "Slow is dead."

Glenn looked at the sky to see the position of the sun, "It's barley noon."

"I don't give a monkey's left nut," Abraham said in reply. "None of us has slept more than a couple hours straight since we went all Casey Jones."

Sophia looked over at Souta to see if he understood the reference. He shrugged, not knowing who that person was either.

"Don't forget we have two kids to think about," Rosita told Glenn.

"We can handle it," Sophia protested, knowing that they could rest later.

"This place looks safe. We need a rest," Abraham said sternly. "I get it. You have to find your wife and friends. But Rosita and me, we got our own mission. It's keeping that man alive and getting him to Washington, and saving the whole damn world," he stated while pointing to Eugene.

"We know," Souta and Sophia said together in irritation. They've heard that speech so many times that they've been reciting it in their sleep. Yes they understood that their mission was important, but finding their family was important too.

What was the point of saving the world if the people in your life were missing?

Suddenly the sound of a Walker snarling caught their ears.

It was Glenn who saw where it was.

At the top of the tower Abraham wanted to climb.

The Walker went over the edge and went straight for Eugene, Abraham shoved Tara to the side to guard the man who will save the world, causing Tara to hurt her ankle. Abraham shoved Eugene back as the Walker splat down on the ground head first.

"Are you okay?" Sophia asked Tara who was wincing in pain.

"I'm fine," Tara hissed though her teeth.

"You sure?" Rosita asked concerned. Tara nodded yes but she could tell that she was lying. "We got to stay here. Who's gonna help me carry her up?"

Glenn went over and kneeled down and checked Tara's injury. It wasn't broken or sprained from what he could tell. It was most likely inwardly bruised. "Are you okay?" he asked Tara with genuine concern as she he helped her stand up.

"Yeah," Tara told him, not wanting to slow their group down.

"Do you want to stop?" Souta asked her. Finding their family was important, but he knew how disappointed his sister Kagome would be if they didn't help someone who needed their help.

"Or do you want to keep going?" Glenn asked Tara.

Tara shook her head in determination, "No, I want to keep going."

Sophia walked over so Tara can balance on her shoulder. She was still small so she wouldn't strain her arm as much.

"Thanks," Tara told the little girl.

Glenn nodded at this and looked at the other adults, "Look, if she could keep going we can all keep going." Rosita looked at the scene and shook her head in disgust. Glenn and the kids were endangering a young woman's life for selfish reasons. "Or you guys could stay here," Glenn continued, "You don't need us and we don't need you. It's okay."

"You're an ass," Rosita finally snapped at Glenn before pointing to Tara. "She will do whatever you or the kids say because she thinks she owes you."

Sophia looked up at Tara, knowing that it was probably true. She and Souta knew that Tara was with the Governor's group when he attacked the prison. In a way, Tara was part of the reason that they were in this situation in the first place. However, they also knew how manipulative the Governor could be. The people who lived in Woodbury would tell stories of how the Governor used to talk and what he would do to gain people's trust and make them do what he wanted. 'How can we blame her for being another one of his victims,' Sophia thought to herself.

"Man up," Rosita continued to snap at Glenn, "And stay here for a few hours. Hell, even the kids might need a break."

"We're fine," Souta interrupted, "Walking for hours is nothing new to us. And we've been in worst situations then this."

Glenn glanced over at Souta and gave a half smile before he thought the situation out. He looked over at Abraham once he got an idea. "You just care about keeping Eugene safe, right? It's the only reason you want to stop," he pointed out, which Abraham nodded yes. "We go until sundown, I give Eugene my riot gear, right here, right now. Everybody wins."

"Except her," Rosita snarled pointing to Tara.

Sophia looked back over at Tara, "In the end it's up to you," she told her.

Tara looked at the young teenage girl then back to Glenn and Abraham, "I can keep going. It's what I want to do."

Rosita rolled her eyes at Tara's declaration while Abraham agreed to Glenn's deal.

"If she says she can walk. She can walk," Abraham stated, not really caring what happens to Tara. Eugene was the main priority to him. 'He's the one who will save us all.'

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Sesshōmaru was walking as he followed the scent as it grow stronger with every step he took.

The scent of corpses was no longer distracting his demonic nose which made it easier to follow.

He found it out that the scent seemed to stay on the same path as the train tracks.

The demon soon learned why as he saw the sign for Terminus. A sign put up by humans from what his senses could tell.

Sanctuary for all.

Unity for all.

Those who arrive survive.

Sesshōmaru had been alive for a very long time. He'd seen many wars and learned many strategies in his demonically long life. And all of his years of knowledge could tell him two things about the sign he just read.

Either these humans were complete fools to reveal the location of their sanctuary.

Or because they were cleverly deceptive of their true purpose for the sign.

Sesshōmaru was wise enough to know that it was most likely the later.

And if that were the case, the one he'd been tracking these past few nights was in danger.

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"So what's the plan Daryl?" the leader of the Claimers, Joe, asked the hunter.

"How so?" the hunter replied.

Joe glanced over at him, "You're with us now but you won't be soon," he said as a statement more than a question.

"Yep," Daryl answered him, not bothering to hide it.

"So what's the plan?" the leader asked again curiously.

Daryl was hesitant to reply the question. He didn't want to give out the real reason why he didn't want to stay with these men.

The hunter didn't trust any of them.

But it was the best way to keep him alive until he found Kagome and the others again.

"Just lookin' for the right place is all," Daryl finally replied.

Joe accepted the answer, not thinking much of it. "We ain't good enough for ya, huh?" he said while smoking a cigarette he'd claimed earlier that day.

"Some of ya ain't exactly friendly," the hunter pointed out.

"You ain't so friendly yourself," the leader countered.

Daryl didn't respond to the comment, not caring what this man thought of him.

"You know you need a group out here," Joe continued, "You should be with us." As they walked, a Walker came into the Claimer's path. The men minus the leader and Daryl took care of the situation together. "People don't got to be friendly. We don't have to be nice. We don't have to be brothers in arms. We just got to follow the rules...You claim. If you steal, you keel. I know that sounds a little funny, but nobody's laughing when their stuff goes missing. And you don't lie," the leader quickly added, "'Cause that is a slippery slope indeed."

"What happens if ya break'em," Daryl asked the question although he had a good idea of the answer.

"You catch a beaten," the leader said simply. "The severity depending open the offense and the general attitude of the day. But that don't happen much. 'Cause when men like us follow the rules, and cooperate a little bit, well, the world becomes ours."

In another life, the man's rules would have made sense to Daryl.

He probably would have stayed with the Claimers and followed their twisted rules.

But that was before he met the people at the Quarry.

His real family.

His Baby Girl.

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"Are you okay?" Sophia asked Tara as she limped down the rail road tracks. She took her hand off Sophia's shoulder about twenty minutes ago. Tara kept walking without any complaint though she was going slowly.

"I'm fine," Tara told the girl.

Glenn and Souta were walking near the front of them group. Abraham took the rear while Eugene walked beside Rosita in front of him.

"I can talk Glenn into stopping if you need me to," Sophia reminded the woman.

Tara smiled at the blonde's consideration. It reminded her of her sweet and generous little niece. She frowned a little of the thought of her sister and niece being gone. Tara had found both their bodies in the prison yard. Neither of them were supposed to be there, and she didn't know what changed...But she regrets letting Brian, or so she thought his name was since Glenn and the kids called him the Governor, into their lives. If it hadn't been for him, her family would still be alive. "I'll be okay. I can take it," Tara replied to her.

Sophia gave a reluctant nod of acceptance, "I'd just hate to lose another friend," she admitted, which made Tara smile.

They all kept walking until they came into a tunnel where the tracks continued.

On the wall of the tunnel was another message from Maggie, Sasha and Bob.

Glenn inspected the Walker blood that was used to write the message and realized that it was still wet. "We're gaining on them," he told everyone.

Souta smiled, "Do you think they went inside the tunnel?"

"That's a pretty big risk to take," Sophia voiced out.

"We sure as Shinola can't go up and over," Abraham told everyone, showing that the landscape would be impossible to climb.

So the only alternative was to either double back or go inside the tunnel.

Once everyone was quiet, they could hear the faint sounds of Walkers snarling from the inside of the tunnel.

Souta looked over at Glenn, "What should we do?"

"How about around," Abraham suggested to the group.

Glenn shook his head, "No. That'll take a day. Maybe more...If Maggie went through, I'm going through." He glanced over at Sophia and Souta, "It could be too dangerous for the both of you"

"If you're going, then so are we," Sophia told him.

"We didn't find you just to be separated now," Souta said in agreement.

"Shut up a second," Abraham interrupted, "That there is a long dark tunnel full of reanimated corpses. And I don't have full-on certainty that I can get Eugene through their alive. My recommendation would be to take the day, make the detour and play it safe...But I know none of you are going to do that."

"Damn right," Souta told Abraham.

The redhead glared at the young Asian teen for a moment before he continued, "So this is where we got to part ways...I'm sorry, you're on your own."

Rosita shook her head in disproval while Eugene remained quiet about the situation.

"They're not alone," Tara remained them. She was going to stick with Glenn and these kids to the very end.

Out of good will, Abraham offered Glenn two cans of food.

"Those are yours," Glenn refused, "You guys will need them for your trip."

"You will too," Abraham countered, "And you got young mouths to feed."

Souta glanced over at Sophia, "Do you think they'll ever believe that we can take care of ourselves," he asked her softly.

"Probably not," Sophia figured.

Tara was the one to accept the food, and Souta unzipped his bag to put the canned food inside of it.

"Thank you," Glenn said thankfully. As much as he believed that Souta and Sophia could take care of themselves, he often forgot that their still little things that he needed to do to help them out.

Abraham also handed them a flashlight that they'd definitely need later.

"Sorry I hit you in the face," Glenn told Abraham as eh accepted the flashlight.

"I'm not," Abraham smirked, "I like to fight."

As much as Rosita didn't agree with this, she went over to hug Glenn goodbye and wished him luck and not to be an ass. She hugged Tara goodbye before she went to the young Asian teen, "You take good care of my girl here," she told Souta about Sophia as she gave them each a hug.

"With my life," Souta said out of habit making him and Sophia blush a little.

This made Rosita and Tara smile at the both of them.

Rosita hugged Sophia before she went back to Abraham and Eugene.

"You're all uhh, good people," Eugene said awkwardly since he never was good at saying farewell. "And I must admit that you're seriously hot Tara."

Tara rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I like girls."

Eugene was silent for a few moments, "I'm well aware of that."

Both young teenagers couldn't help but snort in amusement.

"Bye Eugene," Sophia waved to the strange man who gave a weak wave goodbye in reply.

"We'll miss ya," Souta told him.

After that, Abraham told them that they're doubling back just in case they ran into trouble. Once that was said, Glenn, Tara, Souta and Sophia started walking into the tunnel.

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An hour later Kagome stopped mid step on the train track.

"What is it?" Shippo asked her.

"It's weird...But I just have the strangest feeling that Glenn has done something incredibly stupid," she told her son.

The demon raised a brow, "What makes you say that?"

"Just a feeling," the priestess admitted, "And the years of experience."

"Has it been that long?" Shippo asked trying to keep his mother's mind of the feeling.

Kagome shrugged, "It's hard to keep track of time now...But it feels like it's been."

Shippo gestured his mother forward, "Let's keep walking while you tell me why the first stupid thing that Glenn ever did that makes you believe that."

The priestess snickered, "Well the first time I saw it was when we were trying to get a bag of guns in Atlanta when the city was full of Walkers."

The fox demon eyes widened, "You have my attention."

Kagome laughed lightly as she continued to tell him about all the crazy stunts Glenn had pulled since she'd known him.

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Glenn covered his mouth with his hand as he sneezed.

"Bless you," Maggie told him as she laid her head on his lap.

It had been over an hour after the disaster that they had in the tunnel, where he, Tara, Souta, and Sophia almost were eaten by numerous Walkers.

Luckily, Maggie, Sasha, and Bob couldn't believe their luck as they ran into the van that was driven Abraham, Eugene and Rosita inside. It was thanks to the three of them that they all doubled back into the tunnel. They arrived just in time to shoot at all the Walkers, saving Glenn and the others lives.

Maggie and Glenn's reunion definitely made a few tears fall from the women in the group.

Sasha and Bob were happy that the couple was reunited and that Souta and Sophia were now with them.

"Thanks," Glenn replied to Maggie, "Don't know why I've been sneezing all night."

"Someone's probably talking about you behind your back," Souta informed Glenn.

Sasha shrugged, "Could be. Are your ears burning?"

"Shut up," Glenn told both of them as they sat around the fire they started inside the tunnel. The wall of rocks on one end and the stone walls made it a secure place to stay for the night. They had to move the Walker bodies to the side of the tunnel but it was worth it to have a safe place to sleep.

It was a little while later that Abraham told Maggie, Sasha, and Bob about Eugene.

"I'm down right tickled that y'all found each other," Abraham told them, "Should spend the rest of the night celebrating. Because tomorrow there's absolutely no reason why the ten of us don't stuff ourselves in that van and head up to Washington."

"What about Souta's sister and my mom," Sophia reminded him, "The rest of our family is still out there."

That's when Eugene spoke up, "We're about fifty five percent of the way from Houston to Washington. Up until now, we've had an armored military vehicle for transport and we lost eight people."

"That wasn't our fault," Rosita interrupted.

"They're gone," Abraham snapped in reply.

"I can't imagen we'd have better luck with that grocery grabber we picked up," Eugene continued, "We're a day's walk from Terminus. Who knows what they got there?"

Rosita couldn't help but agree with Eugene with that logic, "It couldn't hurt to check," she told Abraham. "We could load up on some supplies. Maybe even recruit some of them to come with us."

"I'll go with you guys," Sasha told them, "But only after I see Terminus. I need to see if my brother's there.

"Me too," said Bob, "On both counts."

Abraham thought it over, "He tells me I'm wrong, I listen," he said referring to Eugene. "Tomorrow we go to the end of the line...Then Washington."

Everyone nodded in agreement except for Sophia and Souta.

"What about Beth, Maggie?" Souta asked the brunet, "You've been looking for Glenn but you don't want to find Beth at all?"

Maggie blinked in surprise, "Of course I do."

Souta wasn't so sure of that, and neither was Sophia.

Every time they found Maggie's messages on the road it was always addressed to Glenn, and no one else. "You left a message for Glenn but not for your own sister," Sophia asked the older woman in confusion. She wasn't mad at the brunet but very disappointed, "Why don't you want to find her?"

"That's not it," Maggie told her, "I'm just...I'm just scared about getting my hopes up that she's alive."

"But not with Glenn," Souta stated about her hypocrisy, "Do you think Beth is weak or something?"

"Kagome trained the both of you," Sophia reminded her, "Do you really think she'll give up without a fight. Or that Shippo will let his wife die."

Glenn's eyes widened at the last thing Sophia had said, "His what?"

The young Asian teenager rolled his eyes. "Shippo and Beth married each other before the virus spread around the prison," Souta informed them, "Shippo told us. Didn't you guys know that?"

Glenn and Maggie looked at each other, "Did you?" he asked his wife.

Maggie shook her head, "No...They must have done it in secret."

"I knew about it," Sasha told them, "Kagome told me when we were in A Block. She told Hershel too. He was...He was really happy and said his baby girl was all grown up now."

"Shippo told us too on the way to get the medicine," Bob admitted to the two.

Maggie felt like the worst older sibling in the world. Maybe she and Glenn were more focused on each other then what was going on with the others around them. She remembered going to visit Glenn more than Beth when they started to quarantine the prison. "Why didn't I know?" the brunet asked to no one in particular.

No one gave her an answer.

Feeling the awkwardness in the air, Souta tried to switch to another topic. "Do you want to look for Sesshōmaru too?" he asked Sophia.

"Who?" Bob asked, never hearing that name before.

"He's a friend," Glenn quickly explained, "He went to hunt for the Governor to protect the group...Well mainly Sophia. But he's been gone so long, God knows where he is now."

"I don't need to look for him," Sophia interrupted Glenn, gaining the adults attention. "He's always been there when I need him most, like when I got separated from the group. Or when my Daddy...ya know, started looking at me funny." Some of the adults who didn't know about Sophia's past eyes' widened. "Sesshōmaru will always find me," the young blonde said as a fact.

"What makes you think a man out there on his own would still be alive," Abraham asked her skeptically.

"Trust us, he's alive," Maggie answered for her.

Glenn nodded in agreement, "Sesshōmaru's alive. And once he finds out the Governors' dead he'll find Sophia."

Tara looked over at Maggie, "Seriously?"

"Yep," the brunet told him, "He'll search all over the world to find her. And I pity anyone or any Walker that'll get in his way."

Abraham snorted, wondering if such a person even exists. 'If this Sesshōmaru guy is alive after being out there on his own, then I'll kiss a dead man's ass."

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Rick was sitting on the ground.

His hands shacking uncontrollably.

Blood smeared all down his mouth.

It all happened so fast.

One minute he and Michonne were sitting by the fire while Carl was asleep in an abounded car with Kilala curled up sleeping in his lap.

Then the next they knew, a gun was being pointed to older man's head.

It was the group that had taken over the house they'd been staying in before. They'd been tracking the three of them to get revenge on the one man Rick had killed in order to escape the house.

The Claimers.

These men were worse than animals.

Anyone with eyes could see that.

Kilala was about to transform to take care of the problem when Daryl came out of the woods and identified Rick as someone he knew. He quickly offered to accept the punishment for what Rick had done to the Claimer's leader of the Claimers didn't believe the hunter's words and demanded that Daryl be put to death. Rick begged for everyone's lives to be spared and told them to only take his own.

Joe laughed and told Rick that they'll kill Daryl, and rape both Michonne and Carl before they'd die, and only then would they finally put Rick out of his misery.

Two of the Claimer men began to beat Daryl to death while another held a gun at Michonne's head.

Carl was dragged out of the car by another Claimer and thrown onto the ground while the man tried to unbuckle his pants. Unfortunately for the despicable Claimer, Kilala wasn't going to let it go any further than that. The demon cat transformed and tore into the man's shoulder with her jaws and through him into a tree.

Kilala's distraction gave Rick a chance to bite Joe in the throat and rip his flesh out. The sound of Carl's cries and the sound of Daryl being beaten was enough for him to turn savage and take this leader down by any means necessary.

The Claimers were so startled by what they were seeing in regards to the demon cat and Rick's savage assault, that it was enough for Michonne and Daryl to fight back and kill the rest of the savage group.

The only one left from the Claimers was the man who tried to rape Carl, who grabbed the young Grimes again and held a knife to the boy's throat. The man was slowly bleeding out from Kilala's earlier assault, and was desperate to get out of the situation alive.

Kilala was about to strike the man again but Rick called her off.

"No...He's mine," was all the former officer said before he stabbed the man repeatedly.

Michonne held Carl close to her as the young teenager watched his father kill a man in order to protect him.

Daryl and Kilala were watching on the sidelines in silent approval over Rick's decison.

When it was all over, Rick sat on the ground and didn't move for the rest of the night.

His hands still shaken by what had happened to them.

Michonne and Carl were resting safely inside the car next to their camp. Kilala changed back into her small form and guarded Rick during the night. She refused to let anyone else sneak up on them after the night's events. Daryl took care of the men's bodies, not wanting them anywhere near them, and raided the group's things for supplies.

After he was finished, the hunter took a bottle of water and poured it on to a rag.

"You should save that to drink," Rick told him, speaking for the first time in hours.

Daryl handed Rick the rag, "You can't see yourself...He can," he said, while gesturing to Carl in the car, who remained asleep in Michonne's arms.

Rick didn't fight the reason and began wiping his mouth and face with the rag to get rid of the Claimer's blood. Then he looked down to Kilala, who still had blood on her bottom chin and began to clean her up. He owed a lot to the demon cat for saving his son, and did without her.

"I didn't know what they were," Daryl admitted to his friend.

Rick nodded in understanding after he finished cleaning Kilala of the blood, "How did you wind up with them?"

Daryl sat down next to Rick before answering him, "I was with Beth...We got out together...I was with her for a while."

"Is she dead?" Rick asked, since the hunter was being so vague about the whole thing.

Daryl took a moment to answer out of guilt, "She's just gone...After that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad, but they had a code...It was simple. Stupid, but somethin'...It was enough...I was gonna leave. But then I saw it was the four of you...I didn't know what they could do."

Rick nodded in mild understanding, "It's not on you, Daryl."

The hunter didn't look convinced since so much had been his fault.

Losing track of the kids.

Leaving Kagome.

Not finding Beth.

...Now this.

"Hey," Rick got Daryl's attention, "It's not on you. You being back with us, here, now...It's everything."

Daryl still couldn't look Rick in the eye.

"You're my brother...And Kagome's like my daughter," Rick told Daryl, which finally made the hunter look up to his brother's face. "I never once saw her any other way," he continued, "I know that was an issue and I didn't get a chance to explain it...I'm sorry."

The hunter didn't know what to say to what Rick just confessed to him, so he tried to change the subject. "What you did last night...Anyone would have done it," Daryl assured him.

Rick thought back on his actions and shook his head, "No, not that."

"Somethin' happened," Daryl told him, "That wasn't you."

"Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese," Rick reminded him what happened at the prison, which felt like a lifetime ago. "It was like...How did Kagome describe it that one time...A blood rage...It ain't all of it, but that's me...That's why I'm here now. That's why Carl's here. I want to keep him safe. That's all that matters."

The hunter couldn't help but agree, "And findin' the others."

"Yes," Rick agreed, "We'll find Kagome...And Beth...And everybody else."

Once the sun had fully risen, they all packed up and went to Terminus.

Not knowing what waited ahead of them.

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It took a few hours for Kagome and Shippo to get to another sign that led to Terminus.

"How long is that going to take?" Kagome asked Shippo.

"About an hour or more," the fox demon told her, "Sooner if you ride on my."

The fox demon suddenly paused mid-sentence.

His demonic hearing spiking at the rapid noise coming from a distance.

"What is it?" she asked him, knowing that his senses were pick up something.

"I hear gun fire...Lots of it," Shippo told her as he pointed to the direction they were going.

The priestess eyes widened and looked to the direction of Terminus.

If their people really were in Terminus and there was gun fire there now...then...

'But what if our family is not even there,' she quickly thought, 'What if they're group was just being attacked?'

It was too much of a gamble to assume if there was a big fight happening.

Kagome knew there was only one way to find out.

The priestess knew it was dangerous, but she had no choice.

"Stand guard for me," she told her son.

Shippo know immediately what his mother was planning to do, "Mom you can't. It's too far away. If you strain your powers too much you could die."

"Just do it," Kagome told him sternly before she closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could.

It was a bit of a strain on her holy powers, having only pushed herself to this limit only once at Hershel's farm.

But she had to be sure.

Kagome had to know if her family was safe.

It took some time and a lot of her energy to reach Terminus.

But then she felt it.

Angry souls.

Vengeful souls.

...Innocent souls in agony.

Then Kagome sensed them...Her family.

And she then sensed him...Her angel.

"Daryl," the priestess whispered as she was about to collapse before Shippo caught her.

"They're in Terminus?" Shippo asked her as she fought to stay up right.

The priestess nodded as she tried to stay steady on her feet with her son's help, "Yes...some of our family is there. So are other innocent people...But I don't feel Beth," she said in regret before looking at her son, "I'm so sorry Shippo"

The fox demon cursed under his breath at the knowledge, but was also happy that they located their family, "But everyone else?"

"They're okay," Kagome told him with worry in her eyes, "But they're in terrible danger."

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When Beth woke up she knew she was in trouble.

She was locked inside of a hospital bed in some place she didn't recognize with an IV jabbed into her arm.

After banging on the hospital door several times, two people finally came into Beth's room.

A man dressed as a doctor and a woman in a police uniform.

"It's okay," the doctor told Beth in her guarded state, "I'm doctor Steven Edwards and this is Officer Dawn Lerner. How are you feeling?" he asked her in genuine concern.

'Like someone knocked me out and dragged me somewhere against my will,' Beth wanted to say but knew better than to blurt the words out loud. Instead she asked the two strangers, "Where am I?"

"Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta," Dr. Edwards informed her.

"How did I get here?" she asked as innocently as she could, not wanting them to know how furious she was for their kidnapping her.

Dawn was the one who answered, "My officers found you on the side of the road surrounded by Rotters."

"Your wrist was fractured," Dr. Edwards interjected, "And you sustained a superficial head wound."

That's when Beth remembered what really happened. Two men dressed as police officer tried to force her into the car. She tried to fight back but one of them smashed her wrist with their foot before she was knocked unconscious by the end of a rifle.

"Do you remember your name?" Dr. Edwards asked her.

"Beth," she answered their question, doing her best not to scream or attack her kidnappers. "The man I was with. Is he here too?" she asked, hoping that Daryl was alright after the funeral home was raided.

Dawn shook her head in confusion, "You were alone. If we hadn't saved you, you'd be one of them right now," she gestured referring to the Walkers, or Rotters as she called them. "So you owe us," Dawn said as a statement of fact.

It took all of Beth's will power not to glare at the woman in front of her. These people, the way Dawn was looking at her, made her hair stand on end. This place was bad news, and Beth was alone.

For now.

'I have to cooperate to stay alive...Shippo and the others will find me,' Beth thought confidently.

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Rick couldn't believe what had happened.

He should have been more careful.

But these people of Terminus couldn't be trusted.

If Rick's eyes didn't catch the belongings of their people, like Glenn's bag and riot gear, Daryl's poncho, and Hershel's watch, Kilala's behavior sure made them more cautious. The demon cat's hair stood on end the moment they stepped foot in this place. She constantly hissed at any person who lived in Terminus, no matter how many times Michonne told her to stop.

Rick assaulted the man that had Hershel's watch, causing everyone to raise their weapons at one another in defense. However, Rick's family didn't anticipate the snippers on top of the buildings around Terminus. Kilala would have transformed, but they were incredibly out gunned making it risky to get her mistress and the two Grimes out safely.

So instead Rick, Michonne, Kilala, Daryl, and Carl were captured and locked inside of a off rail traincar.

But as luck would have it, so were the rest of their family.

Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Bob, Sophia and Souta were all safe and sound inside the traincar, despite being prisoners.

Carl had been happy to see that his friends were safe and brought them into a group hug.

They also had four more people, Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, and Tara who he recognized from the prison during the Governor's invasion, but didn't comment on her presence.

"They're friends," Maggie quickly explained to Rick, "They helped save us."

"Yeah," Daryl nodded, looking at Tara in acceptance, "Now they're friends of ours."

Abraham snorted, "Yah, for however long that'll be."

Carl, Souta, and Sophia looked at each other nervously.

"No," Rick said as he shook his head and walked over to the door of the train car, "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."

"Find out what?" Abraham asked him suspiciously.

Rick turned to the group with determined eyes, "They're fucking with the wrong people."

 **OMG that's an awesome line. Too bad that's only in the deleted scenes. The whole Maggie wanting to find Glenn in the series but she never mentioned Beth always bothered me. She lost her dad but she doesn't even mention the only blood family member she has left. That's a little messed up. Well that's enough ranting, now we're at Terminus and most of our favorite survivors are together. Not to mention, our favorite demon lord has returned. So, what do you think? Next time: Battle to escape and highly anticipated reunions.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	28. The Great Escape

**Arrows and Scars**

 **To My Reviewers:**

 **Shiori Mayonaka no Yume: Just take it one chapter at a time.**

 **darkangel0212: Relax, I have a plan...that you'll have to wait and read about.**

 **Altiria-Aty: I think you'll be very happy with this chapter.**

 **LightningThief47: Yep, lots of memorable quotes in the Walking Dead series.**

 **MOONWOLF1234: Shhh, it's okay, just read the chapter and all will be well.**

 **Lil Hamari: Can't promise the Abraham part, but the other stuff...you'll have to read and find out.**

 **Saricaykes: I'm so glad that you were so excited about that extra chapter. I'm even happier that you enjoyed the chapter so much.**

 **NicoleR85: Done and done.**

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 **Guest (1): I don't know if fun is the word I'd use for this chapter, but it's a more uplifting one. I can promise you that.**

 **Guest (2): I'm sorry my story didn't meet your expectations. Maybe you can write a fic that's better.**

 **Elfy Lolita: Here's another serving.**

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 **All other Guests: I update once a month.**

 **Thank you all for your kind words, and of course the pleading. I hope I won't disappoint you in the future. Also a shout out to: Avacii, ,** **MillionLights101, Kriegercro, katiepyros31895, Kosongbird, AmeliaWu, Naoko's Fiery Hell, Never Morrison, Ashmo21, DivineBahamutXZ,** **ChrisCage75,** **2,** **Hoppy854,** **Kitsune Kayls,** **LadySlaughter1PER,** **KawaiiKittyHigh, and baby-kitsune9 for your support.**

Disclaimer: I can't say this enough. I don't own the anime/manga Inuyasha or the TV Show/Comic of the Walking Dead...or any other medium these stories have.

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Great Escape

Shippo ran with Kagome on his back as they retreated into the woods away from the railroad tracks. They made sure to stay hidden from the sight of any hidden scouts from any Terminus people that the priestess or demon could sense.

Once they found a secure spot Kagome climbed off of Shippo's back so they could make a plan. They were close enough to the building that the priestess didn't need to strain her powers to sense what was going on. There was so many people at Terminus, and not enough of her group was there to take them down.

"What are we going to do?" Kagome asked her son referring to their family being in danger, "We have to save them."

They knew that any idea's they come up with would tricky since, there was little to no way of warning their group that they were coming to rescue them.

The fox demon tried to think, "I could distract the people of Terminus and you can let the others get out."

The priestess shook her head, "There's too many of them. And if they have multiple firearm weapons...Even you can't survive that."

Shippo cursed, "Then we'll have to sneak in. But how can we get everyone out?"

"I don't know," Kagome shook her head, "But there has to be a way."

"Well we," the demon began to continue and then suddenly paused when he picked up a familiar noise.

Something dangerous was approaching.

"A herd is coming," he silently told her before he grabbed his mother's arm and pulled her down to the ground behind a ditch.

They both hid trying to remain quite as the herd came by them.

It took about ten minutes before the herd was gone completely.

"They must have heard the gun fire coming from Terminus," Kagome concluded, referring to what Shippo had heard earlier.

"Yeah," Shippo agreed, "But that means they'll head right towards them and our family."

That meant they were both running out of time.

"We need to," Kagome began to say before a familiar soul senses.

'Is that,' the priestess wondered before she concentrated to make sure, 'It is.'

"What is it?" Shippo asked his mother, "Did you find something?"

"Yes," the priestess said as she smiled triumphantly, "It's reinforcements."

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Meanwhile, while trapped inside the train car, everyone was preparing for a fight for their lives.

Some of the newer people were skeptical about fighting off the people of Terminus who were fully equipped with firearms and had taken all their weapons.

But the children were the ones to inspired the adults by reciting what Kagome had been teaching them at the prison, "You're never unarmed if you use your brain."

Everyone looked at what they could use to defend themselves.

It took some imagination from everyone to think of what they had.

The wood exposed inside the car.

The zippers on their jackets.

Their buckles on their belts.

Anything that could be used to defend themselves.

The family group would look at one another as they worked, knowing that in the end their secret weapon was Kilala. She was just the right surprise that Terminus needed in order to help their family survive the battle long enough to escape.

One thing they knew for sure.

No matter how this day would end, they weren't going down without a fight.

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"Are you sure about this?" Shippo mouthed to his mother as they stared at the small shed in the woods. It was where the priestess felt familiar presence who she knew would help them get the others out of Terminus.

Kagome nodded yes, "We need them," she mouthed back.

With her confidence in mind, Shippo opened the door only to have a gun being pointed to his face in alarm.

"Whoa, whoa!" the fox demon held his hands up nonthreateningly at the unknowing attacker.

Carol was holding the gun at Shippo while Tyreese stood in the corner of the room with Judith in his arms. Another man was sitting on the ground, an obvious captive, not sure what to make of the whole exchange between the four people.

The priestess stepped to the side from behind Shippo with tears in her eyes once she saw Carol, Tyreese and Judith were safe and sound. Sure she felt them with her powers, but there's nothing that could make your heart soar more than seeing a person you care about with your own eyes.

"Thank Kami we found you," Kagome cried out as she ran up and embraced Carol in relief.

The older woman was stunned by the priestess's response, quickly figuring that Kagome had no idea about what she had done at the prison. Still, she was happy to see that her friend had made it out okay and embraced her back.

In truth, after separated from her family for so long, Kagome had forgotten all ill feelings that she had towards Carol's past actions at the prison. She couldn't agree with Carol's method of killing the sick to keep the illness from spreading, but at the same time, it did come from a good place. 'She wanted to protect our family,' the priestess reminded herself.

Shippo wasn't as quick to forgive as his mother about Carol and ignored her presence to greet Tyreese. "It's good to see you," the demon said while giving his friend a relieved one armed hug, trying not to crush Judith who was in his arms.

"You too man," Tyreese replied, protecting Judith from being smooshed. It was tricky to do since Judith was squirming in his arms trying to reach for Shippo. The little infant spent most of her time with him and Beth, just as much as her father and brother.

"Hey Cutie," the fox demon cooed at Judith affectionately.

The infant smiled at the attention Shippo was giving her and became less fussy trying to get him to hold her. The fox demon wanted to do just that, but he smelt a feeling of anxiousness coming from Tyreese and thought it would be better to let him keep hold of Judith for now.

Kagome sensed the same thing coming from Tyreese and followed her son's example of not bringing up his protectiveness. "Hi Sweetie," she went over and greeted Judith by kissing her forehead before hugging Tyreese. "I'm so glad you're all okay," she told him.

Tyreese lowered his head to her shoulder, "Not all of us," he replied softly.

Kagome pulled back as her and Shippo's eyes widened in fear, "Who?" the priestess asked him in horror.

"Lizzie and Mika," Carol answered quickly obviously not wanting to talk about what had happened to the girls.

The priestess covered her mouth in shock while the fox demon cursed under his breath at the news. They couldn't believe that they lost those two little girls. 'They were so young and didn't even get a chance to live yet,' Kagome thought sadly before quickly praying for their souls.

Suddenly the man on the ground, who had been tied up by Carol, started protesting about his current predicament. "Look I already told your friends here that the boy and the samurai fired on us first. All we're doing is holding them. We we're just defending ourselves."

The fox demon raised a brow at the stranger who didn't need his demonic sense to tell that this human was lying. "Who's this guy?" Shippo asked not liking this man one bit. Especially by the odd way he smelled, 'The scent of human blood and flesh is coming off all over him.'

"He and his group have our people," Tyreese informed the priestess and demon.

"At Terminus," Kagome finished for him, figuring as much.

Carol looked to the priestess for confirmation, "Do you know if they're alright?"

The guy tied on the ground, Martin, snorted at them, "We just have the samurai lady and the boy."

"They're alive," the priestess continued acting like she didn't hear Martin, "Your daughter is with them. And so is your sister," she said to Carol and Tyreese, making Martin's innocent expression instantly fade away.

"We were just defending ourselves," the man said again trying to act naïve as possible.

Shippo rolled his eyes, "Can I please shut this guy up?" he asked his mother for permission.

"No," the priestess replied, "We may need him later." Normally Kagome wouldn't have been so cold but she could sense that this man's soul couldn't be redeemed. Not from all the evil that she could feel radiating off from him. 'What in the world has he and his people do for their souls to become so sinister?'

"There's a bunch of us out there. In six different directions," Martin continued not even bothering to keep up the innocent charade anymore. "There are a lot of gunfire back home. We need to set off our charges at the same time to confuse the dead ones away. That's good for you too."

"No it isn't," Carol told the man as she readied the bag she was previously packing before the priestess and demon showed up. "There's a herd heading toward Terminus right now. We don't want to confuse them away...We're gonna need their help."

Kagome looked at the older woman intrigued, "What do you have in mind?"

Carol put the bag over her shoulder, "I'll explain on the way. But I'm going to need your help. Shippo's too."

Martin shook his head at Carol, "Terminus is a compound. They'll see you coming."

"Shut the hell up," Shippo snarled as he kicked Martin in the ribs, finally silencing him.

Meanwhile Tyreese went to the two women, with Judith still secure in his arms "How are you going to do this?"

Carol looked Tyreese in dead in the eye, "We're gonna kill them."

Tyreese looked over at the priestess, hoping she'd protest to what Carol was planning to do.

Instead Kagome nodded in agreement, "She's right...These people. Their souls...They're way too dark to see any reason...They will kill our family without any hesitation. And we can't let that happen."

Shippo walked over and squeezed Tyreese's shoulder, "It's what we have to do."

Tyreese didn't say a word.

The priestess walked over and grabbed Tyreese's hand trustingly. "Please protect Judith until we get back," Kagome said as she squeezed Tyreese hand before she followed Carol out the door along with Shippo right behind them.

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Ten minutes later, Carol and Kagome were both knelled to the ground next to a Walker they had just killed, both of them were smearing its Walker blood all over the ponchos that they currently wore over their clothes. Carol began to rub some on her face and in her hair for extra camouflage. The priestess tried not to gag at the smell but followed the older woman's example of covering the Walker's blood on her face.

They needed to keep their scents hidden from the Walkers and Kagome needed to be able to help Carol in a fight if things went bad so she won't be able to concentrate to keep up a barrier.

"Are you sure Shippo's up for this?" Carol asked the priestess once they finished their task.

Kagome nodded, "His illusions don't last long. But it'll be enough to make sure that the herd stays on route to Terminus."

Carol nodded as she grabbed the weapons and they both headed towards Terminus to rescue their family.

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The fox demon wasn't one hundred percent on board with this plan.

But he knew there wasn't any other options.

With that in mind, Shippo grabbed the leaves on a nearby tree and infused them with his demonic power, "Duplicate."

Five versions of the fox demon appeared in front of him.

"Make sure those Walkers stay on the path to Terminus," Shippo ordered his clones, "The lives of our family are at stake."

"Right," all five clones said at once before heading to the direction of the herd of Walkers over a hundred yards away.

Each of them spread out to make sure that no Walkers went a stray from the herd.

"Hey uglies," one of the clones called out to the herd of Walkers to gain their attention.

"Want a bite of me, Deadhead," said another clone, posing to show his flesh.

Another clone was walking backwards while using his hands to gesture for the Walkers to follow, "Here corpsey corpsey corpsey," he said tauntingly.

"Bet you can't catch me," said the fourth clone while blowing raspberries at the herd.

"Your mother was ugly on Dawn of the Dead," the last clone insulted the herd.

The herd of Walkers were immediately attracted to the moving and noisy fox demon clones, wanting to devour their flesh. They followed the retreating forms of the clones without any hesitation.

Meanwhile, the real Shippo watched the whole thing from a safe distance. He wasn't thrilled that this many Walkers were heading the same direction where his mother was, but Carol told him it was necessary, 'She better know what she's talking about.'

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The closer Carol and Kagome got the fences that over looked over the compound, the more they could see and hear what was happening. There were some Walkers currently surrounding the two women, but they remained slow and quiet to not draw attention to themselves.

Terminus looked like a mini fortress, and the women could tell that this group took full advantage of the former train car facility.

Once they got to the gate, the women could only watch as Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Bob being tied up and dragged into one of the buildings.

Kagome wanted to call out to the hunter, but Carol grabbed the priestess's shoulder to remind her of where they were and kept silent. Kagome looked to the older woman, asking with her eyes on what they should do now.

The older woman held on tightly to the priestess hand and guided her around the compound. Once she found a good spot, Carol pulled out the snipper with the scope from her shoulder to get a better look of what was happening down in Terminus.

"Well?" Kagome asked her in a low whisper, not being able to have good look of what was going on without a scope.

"They spotted the herd of Walkers," Carol told her quietly, "They're running behind some gates. We need to bring the walls down somehow." She kept looking through the scope until something caught her eye. "Kagome, where are our people?"

The priestess scanned the area with her powers. "Still on the other side of the compound," she told her, "Why?"

"There's a gas tank there," Carol explained as she reached into a bag and pulled the firework that Martian planned to use to confuse the Walkers, "That's how we'll blow the fences down."

Kagome didn't have time to decide if Carol's plan was downright insane or amazingly brilliant.

Either way, the priestess didn't comment on it.

Carol aimed her gun at the tank, while Kagome used one of the rifles as leverage against the fence, and placed the fire work inside of the rifle. Once Carol hit the tank with her firearm and saw the gas leaking out, she gave the priestess a quick nod. The quiet signal was the que for Kagome to take out the lighter they took from Martin and light the firework, which aimed right for the fuel tank.

Both women quickly ducked and covered their ears as the firework hit the exposed gas leak and caused a loud explosion inside of Terminus, blowing the fence and a few dozen Walkers to bits.

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The sudden explosion caused the ground at Terminus and a few miles around it to shake.

Everyone, living or dead, were startled by the unexpected action.

The people in Terminus began to panic as Walkers suddenly entered the compound.

Elsewhere Shippo led the Walkers toward Terminus with his illusions just as they'd planned, but the explosion caused him to stop. He had no idea what caused it and suddenly became worried.

"Mom," he said under his breath before running back in the direction of Terminus, knowing that his illusions will finish their jobs.

The fox demon had been so concerned about the priestess, that he didn't notice a figure emerge from the woods.

Or its eyes narrow as he watched the demon's retreating form.

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Carol and Kagome walked slowly among the herd of Walkers as they went inside the Terminus compound.

It took all of the priestess's will power not to look at the horror going on around her.

The people of Terminus were being attacked, ripped apart, and killed by countless Walkers.

These people were wicked but it was hard to stomach as Kagome watched them succumb to a terrible fate.

However, deep down, Kagome knew that these people were planning to do much worse to her family.

Carol's hand suddenly grabbed onto Kagome's in comfort. Lately the older woman had been preaching on how it takes a strong person to survive in this new world. Carol knew how strong the priestess truly was, but she also knew how merciful she could be as well. Although Kagome never protested what Carol had planned to save their family, she knew this wasn't easy for the priestess to do.

But doubt was not what their family needed now.

They needed strength.

And Carol was more than willing to lend hers to Kagome to get through today.

She owed it to her.

Kagome squeezed Carol's hand back in appreciation as they kept walking slowly forward.

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Abraham hammered the door of the train car with his fist, "What the hell is going on out there?"

The sound of Walkers and people screaming while guns fired could be heard outside of their metal prison.

"Someone hit them," Michonne voiced, figuring as much from the explosion they heard.

"But who's attacking them?" Souta asked the adults.

"Maybe our people got free," Sasha suggested to the others.

Eugene suddenly scooted past the others and leaned down towards the bottom of the door.

"What are you doing?" Sophia asked the man curiously.

"I might be able to use this shell to compromise the door," Eugene quickly explained, showing the bullet shell before getting back on task.

Souta raised a brow at the idea, "You can do that?"

Eugene nodded, "Possibly. From the sound of things, there may not be anybody left to open the door."

The others looked at one another before looking at the demon cat. Kilala most likely could tear the door down, but they still needed weapons of some kind to protect themselves from the herd Walkers. Their first plan was to use her to surprise the people of Terminus, and it would have worked if they didn't surprise them with that knock out gas which allowed them to take most of the men.

"Eugene, no offence, but shut up," Tara told him, wanting a more than just a 'possibly' on a way of getting out of the train car.

"Hey," Carl got everyone's attention, "My dad's coming back. They all are."

Maggie nodded at the young Grimes words, "They are. And we need to get ready to fight our way out with them when they do."

Everyone, minus Eugene, looked at one another and went back to finding what they had in the train car for weapons.

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The chaos continued on the grounds of Terminus

Carol and Kagome fired their rifles at the armed people of Terminus once they found a secure spot to take cover from the bullets and stray Walkers.

It was hard to determine what was happening due to the smoke from the fires caused by the explosion. Luckily, this worked as a great advantage to stealth the two women. From the looks of it, most of the people in Terminus still didn't know that they were here.

Unfortunately a few Walkers had spotted Kagome and Carol as they were attacking Terminus. Even in their disguised scents, the undead tried to come after the two women.

Kagome halted in firing her rifle and placed a barrier around her and Carol before the undead could grab them, "We've got to move."

Carol fired a few more shots, both at people and Walkers, before retreating back with Kagome inside one of the compound's buildings.

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Rick helped Glenn cut off his slip ties with a knife he retrieved from one of their now dead captors.

They all had to watch helplessly as these people slit the throats of innocent captors and lower their bodies in a tub to drain the corpse of its blood.

One glance around the room quickly showed the reason why these people of Terminus were doing this.

Dead bodies were chopped up on slabs or hanging from chains.

These people were cannibals.

And they were supposed to be their next meal.

Rick wasn't going to allow these people kill one member of his family, and tried to break free with a piece of sharp wood he stashed away in his boot before the people of Terminus dragged them out of the train car.

Luck was on their side when the compound was confronted by some explosion. This gave Rick an opportunity to get out of his binds and kill the men who was guarding them from escaping.

"If they got problems, we got a chance," Rick told Glenn, Daryl and Bob.

Glenn undid his gag and helped set Bob free, "It sounded like a bomb."

Rick helped Daryl get free of his binds, "It sounds like a damn war," said the hunter, wondering what the hell caused such an explosion.

"Right there," Rick pointed to a way out, but not before the others got weapons off their dead captors. Daryl was just about to stab the dead body in the skull to prevent them from coming back as the undead before Rick stopped him, "Let them turn."

No one protested Rick's decision.

The men continued to walk out before exploring more of Terminus's slaughter house.

More body parts were scattered on slabs or hanging on a chain from the ceiling.

"Cross any of these people, you kill them," Rick ordered, "Don't hesitate. Because they won't."

Again, no one protested the order.

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Both Carol and Kagome continued to travel through the building, glad that they could move around more quickly since Walkers haven't made it inside the buildings yet.

"Which way," Carol asked Kagome over the sounds of screams and gunfire coming from outside.

The priestess had to stop moving in order to concentrate and use her abilities. "Daryl, Rick, Glenn, and Bob are moving now," she said when she finally sensed them. She looked to the older woman, "They must be trying to get back to everyone else."

Carol nodded, "Then we need to get out of here and catch up to them."

The two women went through the maze of the buildings before coming into a room full of weapons, watches, clothes, toys, and other trinkets scattered over numerous fold out tables.

Trophies from Terminus's previous victims.

It didn't even look like children were spared by the amount of toys on the table.

The priestess said a silent prayer to the innocent lost souls that remained in this terrible place.

Suddenly, two familiar weapon laid that across the weapons table caught Kagome's eye.

It was her bow and quiver of arrows, along with Daryl's crossbow and bolts.

The priestess grabbed both items and smiled at the sight of seeing them together again.

Meanwhile, Carol picked up a familiar watch on the table, knowing it used to belong to Rick. He'd given it to the young man they helped in the last town they scavenged together. This meant that young man was probably dead too.

Kagome looked over to Carol once both weapons were secure on her back, "What is that?" she asked, seeing the distant look on Carol's face.

The older woman shook her head and put the watch in her pocket, "Nothing important. Let's go."

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Shippo ran to the outside gates of Terminus's compound and saw the chaos that had ensued in his absence.

The people of Terminus were firing their guns and other weapons on the herd of Walkers that were continuing to come through the complex.

Fires were set around the entire compound

Humans were screaming as they were being eaten alive.

But in all the disarray, Shippo didn't see any sign of his family.

Just as he was about to head on inside.

Someone cleared their throat to gain his attention, forcing Shippo to turn around.

The fox demon's eyes widened at what he saw, "Oh shit."

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Carol and Kagome kept looking for a way out of this God forsaken building so they could get the hell out of Terminus.

Every turn seemed to only make them gasp at the horror of what these people have done.

Bodies were chopped and scattered everywhere.

Blood had stained the floor and walls.

It was no wonder that this place felt so evil.

The two women thought they'd seen it all until they went into the next room.

There were candles lit everywhere while hanging from the ceiling, sitting on stands, and scattered on the floor.

There was writing on the floor and walls.

But in big bold letters on farthest wall was written: 'Never Again' 'Never Trust' 'We First Always'

A shrine to the Terminus way of living.

Carol and Kagome kept walking until they heard a gun being cocked behind them.

"Drop your weapons and turn around," a woman ordered making Carol and Kagome halt, "I want to see your faces."

Both Kagome and Carol glanced at one another, with determination in their eyes. Slowly they both were obeying the woman's order, until Carol quickly turned around and fired at the woman.

The redheaded woman fell to the ground to avoid the bullets and lost her gun in the process.

Kagome quickly ran over to slide the gun away from her, but the unknown woman tackled the priestess to the floor, knocking candle stands over as they rolled on the ground.

On her back, the priestess scratched the woman's cheek before tossing her over her body with her feet.

Carol tried to aim her gun at the woman, but she quickly regained her footing and tackled Carol instead, fighting for dominance over the gun.

Kagome stood back up grabbed the woman's hand gun and aimed at the woman's head as she and Carol stood back up. Carol also aimed her rifle at the woman, which showed how outmatched the Terminus woman was at the moment.

The redhead looked at Carol and Kagome before sighing in defeat and decided to confess why they were doing this. "The signs...They were real. It was a sanctuary...People came and took this place."

"Just tell us how we," Carol tried to interrupt the woman.

"And they raped and they killed...And they laughed...Over weeks," the woman said through her teeth. "But we got out," she continued, "And we fought and we got it back. And we heard the message...You're the butcher or you're the cattle"

For one moment, Kagome looked at the ghostly form of the woman who had attacked her as she thought about the people of Terminus as they went through that hell and felt...pity.

But it was only for a moment.

Because no matter what the circumstances of the ugly side of people show, there was always a choice.

You could either fight back and keep some form of your humanity.

Or become something much worse than the wickedness you survived.

These people obviously chose the latter.

"I feel a little sorry for you," Kagome admitted to the redheaded woman, "But what you've done...Is so much worse then what those monsters have done to you."

The woman looked at Kagome in disbelief.

"How do we get out of this place?" Carol asked the woman.

There was no reply.

Carol shot the woman in the leg, causing her to collapse in agony.

"Carol!" Kagome said in disproval.

Instead of replying, Carol walked closer to the woman and kept her gun aimed on her.

Although the redhead was bleeding on the ground, she still had the strength to speak to Carol. "Now...point it at my head," she told her before laughing, "You could have been one of us...You could have listened to what the world is telling you."

Carol's expression showed confliction.

She was nothing like this woman...But hadn't she also done terrible things.

Kagome slowly went to Carol, "Don't," the priestess she spoke softly as she gently pushed the older woman's weapon away from the bleeding woman on the ground. "You're nothing like her or these people here...They let the darkness consume their souls. You haven't...You can still come back from killing Karen and David."

Carol's eyes widened and looked at the priestess in shock, "You-you knew?"

Kagome nodded yes. "What you did can't be undone...But you still have the chance to redeem yourself...Now let's get out of here and back to our family," the priestess told her.

This time it was Kagome that grabbed Carol's hand to give her strength and helped lead the older woman away.

Once they got closer to the door on the other side of the room, Kagome noticed the shadows moving from under the door.

The sounds of snarling hit her ears over the sounds of gunfire.

Walkers were on the other side of the door, wanting to get in.

"Get ready and stay close," Kagome told Carol before she opened the door and slowly stepped to the side.

Three Walkers quickly swarmed inside, ignoring Kagome and Carol since their camouflage still remained intact.

"No!" the woman cried in realization as the Walkers came towards her. "No! No! NO!" she cried in agony as the Walker surrounded her before feasting on her flesh.

Kagome squeezed Carol's hand as they both went out the door to the outside.

The woman's screams echoing in their ears.

Sometimes letting a person live is a much crueler fate then killing them by your own hand.

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Sasha was sharpening the point of her belt buckle until she glanced over at Eugene and allowed curiosity to get the better of her, "What's the cure, Eugene?"

All the adults and teens stopped what they were doing and turned toward Eugene, awaiting his answer.

"It's classified," Eugene answered simply, while continuing his task.

"We don't know what's going to happen," Sasha remind him.

"You leave him be," Abraham scolded the woman.

Sophia glared at the army man, "We're just curious."

"We need to keep working," Rosita told the young blonde.

"Yeah," Maggie almost agreed, "But it's time to hear it, because we don't know what's coming next."

"What's next is we get out of this," Tara stated simply.

Souta shrugged his shoulders, "That's a given. But we should still know."

Eugene still kept working, "Even if I told you all, even if I provided step-by-step instructions complete with illustrations and well composed FAQ and I went red-ring...The cure would still die with me."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," Abraham stated to everyone.

Eugene looked over at Abraham, "The best-case scenario, we step out into a hellstorm of bullets, fire, and Walkers. I'm not fleet of foot. I sure as hell can't take a dead one down with sharp buttons and hella confidence."

"That's obvious," Souta muttered under his breath.

"But we can and we will," Michonne said while giving Souta a scolding look.

Sasha stood up from her spot while everyone else finished their 'weapons', "You don't owe us anything...Not yet. But we just want to hear it."

"You don't have to," Rosita interrupted her.

Eugene sighed from his spot in front of the door and stood up to look at everyone in the train car, "I was part of a ten person team at the human Genome Project to weaponized diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms...Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships made, information shared...I am keenly aware of all the details behind fail-safe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in DC, we can flip the script...Take out every last dead one of them...Fire with fire."

There was silence in the train car after all Eugene had currently explained to them.

"All things being equal, it does sound pretty badass," Eugene quickly added.

The teens looked at each other, not sure what to make of all the information from Eugene's story. Sure it sounded legit, but something still felt a little off. Some of their group must have felt the same way since they looked just as unconvinced.

"So let's get back to work," Maggie told the others before they heard someone mess with the train car door.

Everyone armed themselves, preparing for anything.

Including for Rick being the one to open the door for them.

Which he did.

"Come on! Fight to the fence!" Rick yelled as he opened the train car, releasing his family from capture.

Everyone stepped out of the train car and attacked the Walker's with their 'weapons'.

"Do not leave his side," Abraham ordered everyone to protect Eugene.

"Kilala!" Michonne called over to her companion.

The demon cat quickly transformed and stood guard over Eugene as well as Carl, Souta, and Sophia. It was easy for the demon to fight off the Walkers due to her agility and strength.

Eugene, Abraham, Rosita and Tara were startled by Kilala's transformation of her true form, and would have asked questions if they weren't in a literal life and death situation.

Everyone fought there way to the fences to get out of Terminus, killing Walkers left and right as they went.

Rosita was the first one to reach the fence and found two Walkers stuck on the other side of it, wanting to get inside. The female soldier stabbed one Walker in the head killing it, and was about to stab the other Walker when another knife beat her to it from behind the Walker's head.

A young redheaded man appeared from the other side of the fence.

"Come on!" Shippo told Rosita and everyone who appeared behind her.

The female soldier didn't need to be told twice and tried to climb the fence.

Daryl, Rick, and Glenn stayed behind to fire their guns or jab their weapons at the Walkers coming towards their group from behind.

There were so many of them.

They weren't sure if they'd make it.

"Get down," a commanding voice ordered.

A voice, that three men knew very well, immediately obeyed out of instinct.

As all three men ducked, a flash of light sliced through the herd of Walkers.

Sesshōmaru halted once the final corpse collapsed down dead and turned to the others, "Into the woods."

All the men and the demon retreated into the woods as Terminus went up in flames.

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All of the humans and demons ran until they were a safe distance away from Terminus.

Sophia was the first to speak after throwing her arms around the waist of the demon lord in a tight hug. "I knew you'd find me," she cried out happily in relief, "I knew it."

Sesshōmaru rubbed the girl's head with one hand, "Are you unharmed?" he asked, while taking in her scent to be sure she was uninjured.

The young blonde nodded after she pulled out of the hug, "Yes. Souta and I were on our own for a while after the prison but we survived."

Souta gulped at the mention of his name as he looked at the demon lord, "We-we looked after each other."

The demon lord held no emotion on his face but gave a small nod in approval, allowing the young Asian teen to let out a breath of relief.

"Where have you been?" Glenn asked the demon lord.

Sesshōmaru looked at all human eyes on him, "Hunting. For that despicable human...He was quite clever in covering his tracks," he explained before his gaze went over to Michonne, "You killed him?"

Michonne nodded, "Sorry we couldn't wait for you."

The demon lord said nothing, since he already released his anger of not killing the Governor himself back at the prison.

"How did you find us?" Maggie as the demon lord.

"Human scents are difficult to track with all the death surrounding the prison...But the kitsune's stench stood out," Sesshōmaru told her simply as his gaze went to the demon fox.

Shippo growled lowly at the demon lord for that remark.

Rick looked at the demons and gestured for them and everyone else to follow him where Michonne, Daryl and him hid their weapons.

"The hell we still around here for?" Abraham asked them, since they were still too close to Terminus for his liking towards Eugene's safety.

"Guns," Rick Replied as he dug for the bag they buried, "Some supplies. Go along the fences. Use the rifles. Take out the rest of 'em."

"What?" Bob questioned in disbelief.

Rick stopped digging to look at the others who all seemed hesitant, "They don't get to live."

The group members looked at one another in disbelief.

Sesshōmaru raised a brow at Rick's determination. Sure he would most likely kill the humans for harming Sophia, but the safety of the pack was always the top priority. What Rick was suggesting was vengeance, which he recognized all too well. Things certainly had changed in the demon lord's absence, 'Interesting.'

"Rick, we got out," Glenn voiced his opinion, "It's over."

Rick took out his revolver, "It's not over until they're all dead."

"The hell it isn't," Rosita spoke up in protest, "That place is on fire. Full of Walkers."

"I'm not dicking around in this crap," Abraham stated, "We just made it out.

As vulgar as he made it, Maggie nodded in agreement, "The fences are down. They'll run or die."

Carl looked at the demons after they'd stopped, "How did you guys do all that anyway? The explosion? The Walkers?"

"I led the Walkers to Terminus with my illusions," Shippo told the group before giving his famous fox demon smirk. "As for the explosion, the people you're looking for are right over there," he gestured as two people approached behind them.

Most of the group members heads turned.

The women gasped as a few of the men's mouths dropped.

Daryl turned around and what he saw made his heart stop.

Kagome stood next to Carol after they walked close to the group. They'd already abounded their bloody ponchos and wiped the dirt and blood from their face and hair.

"I'm sorry. Did we keep you waiting long," Kagome greeted everyone with a smile on her face, although her eyes remained on the hunter.

Daryl was the first to move as he ran from his spot to the priestess and embraced her in a fierce hug that lifted Kagome off the ground. 'She's here,' the hunter said gratefully in his mind as small tears formed in his eyes. "You're here," he whispered in her ear before kissing her neck.

Kagome smiled wider as she hugged the hunter back with just as much relief as she was placed back on her feet, "We're here."

"Sis," Souta ran over next and hugged his sister and the hunter tightly, "How did you get out?" he asked referring to the prison.

"Shippo saved me," she told her brother as she pulled back from Daryl, who refused to let her go just yet.

"Mama!" Sophia left the demon lord's side and embraced her mother lovingly. The young blonde had been so worried that she'd never see her mother again, 'But she saved us all.'

Carol knelt down and held her daughter closely. She had never been more thankful in her life then knowing that Sophia was alive. Her daughter wasn't weak...Not anymore...That's how she knew Sophia was the one who is going to survive until the very end of this world. As Carol held Sophia, she felt the intense gaze of the demon lord looking at her. She didn't acknowledge his presence, still completely furious that he hadn't been there to protect her daughter.

Sesshōmaru could smell Carol's emotions and growled lowly under his breath in response.

Rick went over to the two women, looking at them in astonishment, "That was you two?"

Kagome shook her head from her place in Daryl's arms, "It was Carol's plan. I just helped her out."

Carol loosened her grip on Sophia and stood up while she nodded.

Relived by her actions, Rick went over and hugged the woman, who laughed at his enthusiasm. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear. After leaving her in that neighborhood after learning what she had done, Carol still came back and helped save them all. For Rick, that made up for the harm she'd done at the prison.

Daryl and Kagome smiled in relief at the exchange. The priestess took a moment to look up at her angel's face. He had a black eye and cuts over his face and lip. She was about to ask what happened when the hunter shook his head no, telling her that he was alright.

"You have to come with me," Carol told Rick and Carl as she gestured for them to follow her as she held Sophia's hand.

"What's up?" Daryl asked the priestess.

Kagome only smiled at him, "You'll see. In the meantime," she said as she took the crossbow off her back, "I believe this belongs to you."

The hunter gazed at the weapon he didn't notice she possessed and took it from her, "Thanks."

The priestess shrugged, "My bow is better anyway."

Daryl smirked at his Baby Girl before leaning down and kissing her.

Kagome was a little surprised by the actions, since she felt a lot of people staring at them, but she responded just as vigorously.

"Oh come on," Shippo said as he tried to look anywhere but his mother making out with Daryl.

"Gross," Souta said as he tried to hide his gaze by standing behind Michonne, who chuckled at his reaction.

Ignoring the comments, Daryl pulled back and spoke softly, "I love you, Baby Girl."

Kagome wiped a tear she didn't even realize that fell down her face, "I love you, Tenshi."

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The group followed Carol as they went towards the small shed in the woods.

Tyreese slowly came out of the shed, holding Judith securely in his arms.

Both Rick and Carl dropped their belongings dashed over to the youngest Grimes member and cried as they retrieved her from Tyreese. "Judith," Carl smiled at his baby sister, "You're okay."

Rick could only cry as he held his daughter in his arms.

Sasha ran over to her brother in a fierce hug and cried in relief that he was alive.

Everyone smiled at the scene.

Happy that everyone was reunited once again.

It was a miracle that everyone had found their way back to everyone.

...Almost everyone.

Hanging in the back from the reunion, was Shippo as he leaned against one of the trees while staring at the sky. "Beth," he said his mate's name as he sent his feelings for her through their bond. Wherever she was, the fox demon could feel that she was trying to remain strong. 'I'll find you Beth...No matter where you are. I'll find you.'

Kagome turned around and noticed her son's dismay.

The hunter noticed her actions and led them both to the fox demon.

"We're going to get Beth back, Shippo," Kagome promised her son.

The fox demon nodded, "She's staying strong...She knows I'll come for her."

Daryl looked down to the ground in guilt, "It's all my fault." Both the priestess and demon looked to the hunter in confusion. "I was with her...I tried to protect her...But it wasn't enough...She was taken."

Shippo straightened up his posture, "By who?"

"A black car with a white cross," the hunter told him, before looking at the fox demon. "I didn't see who it was...I'm sorry." He had failed his family, and he was waiting for them to yell or scream at him in disappointment.

Instead, Kagome put a hand to Daryl's face, mindful of the bruises and cuts, "You did what you could."

The hunter looked at the woman he loved in disbelief, "How could you know that?"

"Because you're a good man," Shippo answered for his mother, "It's one of the main reasons I let my mother date you."

Kagome raised a brow at Shippo's phrasing, "Let me?"

"I know you did your best," the fox demon continued to tell the hunter, "You made sure Beth was okay in the fight at the prison and got her out...I'm indebted to you for that...But I need your help in finding her."

Daryl nodded, not even needing to be asked.

"I don't know if the fire's still burning," Rick told everyone, gathering their attention.

Carol looked at the smoke and remembered Mika saying that the smoke was black when the fire was burning, and gray when it was out. "It is," she informed Rick.

He nodded, "Yeah. We need to go."

"Yeah, but where?" Daryl asked them.

"Somewhere far away from there," Rick answered.

"The path on the train tracks is clear," Sesshōmaru informed him.

Rick nodded and led his group in that direction.

Everyone gathered their belongings and stuck together as they headed away from Terminus.

They continued to walk until they came to the train tracks.

Rick halted long enough to erase the message on the sign with some dirt so the only words left was, no sanctuary.

They were beginning to wonder if such a place existed anymore.

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Beth was given a tour of Grady Hospital her very first day of waking up. Where everything was located and what was expected of her as payment of them 'saving her life' as they've stated several times a day.

There were many people here from what the blonde young woman could tell, but aside from the people that ran the place the others were quiet and submissive. They were survivors from outside the hospital.

Dawn made the calls to see who can be rescued and who can't.

No point in wasting resources in the female officer's opinion.

But if you recovered, you have to work off what you owe.

No one gets something for nothing, as Dawn put it.

It was the best way to handle things until they were finally rescued.

Then Beth learned about what happens if you don't recover if you're injured.

You go down the elevator shaft for the Walkers stuck in the ground floor of the hospital to feed on.

Beth hated this place.

This hospital felt more like a prison, ironically more than her last home.

And she knew better than anyone that no one was coming to their rescue.

Beth also knew that Dawn was trying to manipulate her into thinking that this was how the way things were now. That if she worked off her dues then everything would be okay.

Maybe in another life Beth would have believed her.

But not now.

What helped give Beth strength, was the emotions she felt through her mating bond with Shippo. His love and assurance was enough for to continue to keep going around Grady. She knew he'd come for her if she stayed put...But that didn't mean she wanted to stay here.

Beth was going to find a way out of this place and be with her mate and loved ones again.

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It was dark when the group found a space in the woods to camp out in.

Most of the day was filled with stories of what happened to them after the prison.

Who they were with, how they got out, how they survived.

Souta and Sophia were jealous when Carl told them about the large can of pudding he found and ate it all by himself while his dad was unconscious. Although Carl was just as jealous when he found out about them driving a car without any help from the grownups.

The adults were happy to see such bickering after the hell they went through today.

The demon lord later instructed that the humans needed to stop and get some rest. Abraham was skeptical but Sesshōmaru informed him that he'll stand on guard for the night. The army man didn't believe the demon lord until he saw the demon's red burning eyes.

This reminded Tara and the army people what they had witnessed at Terminus and asked what Kilala, Sesshōmaru, and Shippo truly were.

"Demons?" Tara repeated the word Kagome just used.

"Yes," the priestess explained as the fire was lit for the camp.

"For reals?" Eugene asked her.

Kagome nodded almost in amusement, "Yes," she answered before looking to Rosita and Abraham. "If you truly want to keep this man safe, then you couldn't be in stronger hands."

Abraham nodded, liking their odds a little better now. It was the main reason why he didn't abandoned the group as soon as they left Terminus. 'More soldiers,' he told himself.

"Where did you meet them?" Rosita asked the priestess.

"It's a long story," Kagome answered her.

Michonne, who sat at Daryl's other side smiled as she pet Kilala in her lap, "We have the time now."

"And I've never heard the full story," Bob informed her, since he wasn't at the prison for very long.

"Please Kagome," Carl asked as he held Judith while sitting next to Sophia and Souta.

Feeling outnumbered Kagome sighed in defeat before looking at everyone around the fire. "I can't tell you when demons were created...They've been around for centuries from what legends have told us...But I do know that they can be greedy...They can be cruel...But they can also be kind." Tara, Bob, and the army people listened intently as the priestess spoke. "It's all a choice," Kagome clarified before turning to Sesshōmaru, who stood away from the camp looking into the darkness. "That one has tried to kill me on more than one occasion in the past, just as I've tried to kill him...But when I saved his ward from a mutual enemy we both called a silent truce."

"Sophia," Tara guessed from the sounds of the story.

The young blonde shook her head, "No not me. My great great geat great grandmother."

This caused the strangers to raise a brow in confusion which amused the others in the group.

Kagome smiled too, "My story begins with a cursed jewel, a thousand year old tree...and a bone eating well."

 **That seems like a good place to stop for now. It took so long to get to this point. Believe me I got writers block on more than one occasion when I reached this chapter. But hopefully I did alright. At least everyone's favorite couple is reunited and our beloved Sesshōmaru has returned to Sophia. Next Time: Enter a church and whole lot of hell**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	29. Have a Little Faith

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for Guest 1, NicoleR85, DogDemoness108, Pricilla (Guest),** **Shiori Mayonaka no Yume,** **Altiria-Aty,** **yourworldismine, Elfy Lolita, darkangel0212, jumpingmanatee, MOONWOLF1234, Guest 2, Frances12 and Guest your awesome reviews. And thank you Luna loves u, MayumiLaufeyson, Parmida Prime, time-twilight, nanaleezero, AnimeFreak71777, Lucky Lucy Heart, Anira Black and BlueFrost for your support.**

Disclaimer: Like an old song that doesn't get out of your head I must say, I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter Twenty Nine: Have a Little Faith

It had been three days since the horrors of Terminus.

All the group could do after that was start walking.

To where, they had no idea.

They needed supplies.

That much was for certain.

A place to stay would have been nice too.

But they've been out like this before, and they knew how to handle themselves.

Rick took the front of their group as usual, while Maggie, Glenn, Tara, Daryl and Kagome followed behind their line. Kagome walked next to Daryl, who stood close to her side just as Glenn stayed close to Maggie. Souta and Sophia were close behind them, occasionally holding hands.

Carl walked next to his father with Judith securely in his arms. Michonne stood next to him with Kilala riding on her shoulder. She felt a little useless without her sword, which she lost back at Terminus. But she kept telling herself that she no longer needed the weapon. The demon cat would rub her mistress's neck to remind her that she'll always be safe as long as she was by her side.

Carol, Shippo, Sasha, Bob, and Tyreese followed behind Souta and Sophia. Eugene would either linger next to them or in front to speak with the kids.

Abraham, Rosita and Sesshōmaru were behind them all, making sure that no stray Walkers got to them by surprise. The demon voiced that he was perfectly capable of doing so himself, but Abraham insisted that he'd help in order not to get rusty.

That and he liked to fight.

The demon lord accepted the excuse, not really caring either way.

Everyone was on guard during the day but they were determined to go where they needed.

The group was accepting with their new arrivals of their family and vice versa. They didn't know how much of Kagome's story they believed, but they knew that the demons were on their side and that was enough for them.

There was no issues among anyone.

Well, all accept for two.

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" _I owe you everything," Rick told Carol, referring to Judith and saving their lives._

 _She shook her head, "You owe Tyreese. He was at the prison."_

" _You made it back," Rick reminded her._

 _Carol did nod at this before handing Rick back his watch which she found in Terminus. They spoke briefly about the boy they'd given it to, while Rick admitted to give back the watch she'd given him._

 _An old anniversary gift from Ed._

 _Carol refused it._

" _I still don't know about what you did," Rick whispered to her, not wanting to be overheard. "But I know you know some things I didn't...I sent you away to this."_

" _You said I could survive," Carol interrupted him, "You were right."_

 _Rick snorted, "I sent you away to this and now we're joining you...Will you have us?" Carol blinked at the question and gave a small nod. "Thank you," he said gratefully before looking behind Carol and noticed a hidden figure._

 _Carol turned and saw the demon lord staring at the two of them. Rick retreated to give the two some much needed privacy. 'You could cut the tension between those two with a knife,' he thought to himself as he left._

" _You were cast out," Sesshōmaru stated what he understood about the conversation between Rick and Carol. "Why?" he questioned emotionlessly._

 _She glared at the demon lord, "I don't have to explain anything to you...Not anymore."_

" _You will answer my question, Onna," Sesshōmaru demanded as he growled at her._

" _Or what?" Carol countered with venom in her voice, "You'll abandoned us again."_

" _I left to protect Sophia," the demon reminded her with a hint of a growl._

" _And look what happened," she interrupted him, "Regardless of our...relationship. You promised me that you'd always look after Sophia. Kagome was training her to be strong but I felt better knowing that you would always be there for her. And when you were needed most, you were gone...Just to get revenge on the very man that hurt us." Before the demon could protest Carol shook her head, "Don't pretend it was anything else. You wanted vengeance and abounded us. And I can't forgive you for that." It took a few moments for Carol to calm down from her rant, "I know you'll stay for Sophia...But you sure as hell better stay away from me," she warned him before walking back over to her daughter._

 _Sesshōmaru glared at the human woman as she retreated away from him._

 _He wasn't sure what this feeling was that struck him when Carol told him to stay away from her...But if that is what she truly desired, 'So be it.'_

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The group continued walking as Maggie looked over her shoulder to look at the fox demon and stopped herself from asking the same question she'd been asking over and over these past few days.

"Beth's fine," Shippo answered the brunet's unasked question. "She's one hell of a fighter...Not taking shit from anyone wherever she is."

Glenn looked to his wife, and squeezed her hand, "We've taught her well."

The fox demon nodded in agreement before turning his gaze away. He didn't want to have everyone worry over what else he'd been feeling. Over the past few days he'd felt how nervous Beth was becoming. Someone was making her feel uncomfortable and scared. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. It was enough to make Shippo kill the ones that were making Beth feel so helpless...But if the fox demon wanted to find his mate, he needed to keep a level head.

Kagome looked over to Maggie, "Once we figure out where to set up, we'll go look for Beth together."

Maggie nodded, understanding the logic in their plan. She just had to keep reminding herself that as long as Shippo was alive with them that meant Beth was alive too. That was a hard pill to swallow and actually doubted if the fox demon was telling her the truth, but for now, she'll pretend.

"We all will," Daryl promised her.

Carol looked at the exchange and remembered the conversation she'd had with the hunter a few nights ago.

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 _That night Rick confronted Carol, she and Daryl took watch as the others rested for the night._

 _The hunter glanced over at the woman he considered a good friend. He got why Carol killed in order to protect their group...But Daryl couldn't forget how Rick admitted that Carol would have probably killed Kagome too if she'd known she'd been sick._

" _I don't want to talk about it. I can't," Carol told him, referring to her actions with Karen and David, "I just need to forget it...But...I doubt that I could've killed Kagome if I'd known...I love her too much to have done that," she admitted towards the end, answering the unspoken question._

 _It was the truth._

 _No matter if they were in danger or not, Carol wouldn't have been able to take Kagome's life._

 _There was a silence between the two for a few moments._

" _Alright," Daryl finally replied, before hearing a noise in the trees._

 _He couldn't see anything._

 _But there was a feeling that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, which told him that they were being watched._

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The next morning, everyone was on the move again.

The formation was the same although Shippo and Daryl left to find food and also checking to see any sign of something watching their group last night.

Daryl managed to round up some squirrels while Shippo caught two rabbits.

"Anything?" Rick asked the two men after they returned.

Daryl shook his head, "No tracks. No nothin'," he reported.

"I didn't smell anything at the camp," Shippo told them.

Rick nodded, "So whatever you heard last night?"

"It's more of what I felt," Daryl told them, "If someone was watchin' us, there would have been sometin'."

Rick nodded before turning to the others to tell them to keep up.

"Never doubt your instincts," Shippo told Daryl.

Kagome walked over to the two, wanting to know what was going on. She hated being kept in the dark. "What's going on?"

Daryl looked at her worried eyes and shook his head, "Nothin'. I'll tell you later."

"You'd better," she playfully threatened.

The group walked for a little while, and during that time Sasha and Bob were playing their usual game.

"Wet socks," Sasha challenged him.

"Cool feet," Bob countered her.

"Mosquito bites," she tried again.

Bob shrugged, "Itching reminds you that you're alive."

Sasha thought it over, "Danger around every corner."

"Never a dull moment," Bob simply replied.

"Good one," Souta voiced from behind them. The kids were listening to the game that the two were playing, as were some of the adults.

The game of finding good out of the bad.

Sasha turned with a confident smile, "The hot sun beating down on you."

Bob snorted in amusement, "Come on, a glorious tan."

Kagome listened to the new couple's playful quarrel and smiled, while Daryl rolled his eyes in displeasure, "It's stupid," he told her quietly.

"It's kind of cute," the priestess countered, "It's their thing."

"No privacy," Sasha challenged, thinking the fight was won.

"Captive audience," Bob told her, before he leaned down and kissed her.

The hunter raised a brow, finding the captive audience answer a little unnerving. Daryl didn't like showing affection in public, which made the kiss he gave the priestess after Terminus so shocking. But Kagome never forced him to be like that, not even now. 'Thank God for that,' the hunter thought, grateful to have a woman who understands that about him.

Suddenly, the peaceful moment was interrupted.

"Help! Somebody help!" a voice screamed from the distance.

Rick halted the group as the screams continued.

"It's an unfamiliar human," Sesshōmaru told them, "Surrounded by the dead."

Carl looked to his dad and friends, "Come on," he said heading toward the voice.

Souta and Sophia ran behind their best friend, wanting to help the unfortunate person too.

"Carl!" Rick followed behind his son.

"Souta!" Kagome called after her brother, not wanting him to do something stupid by playing hero. Daryl immediately chased after her, not wanting to leave the priestess's side.

Sesshōmaru and Carol went after Sophia, not yelling for her to come back, but to make sure she could handle the situation on her own.

The rest of the group went after them.

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The group was surprised to find a priest on top of a giant rock, trying to avoid being bit by a group of the undead.

One had the priest by the ankle ready to drag him off and devour him.

Until a bullet went right through the Walker's skull.

A knife was thrown at another Walker's head, making it drop down with a thump.

Carol and Michonne ran up to two other Walkers and crushed their brains with their weapons.

Daryl shot the remaining Walker with his crossbow, before it got to Carol.

The priest watched the whole thing in amazement.

Rick turned to the demon lord, "Anymore?"

Sesshōmaru shook his head, "That is the last of the corpses."

Kagome went up to the rock that had the priest high up top, "Are you alright?"

The priest whimpered slightly on top of the rock, but gave her a small nod.

"Come on down," Rick told the man in priest clothing.

The priest slid off the rock hesitantly and looked around at the dead in a cold sweat.

Kagome recognized that look, "Step back," she warned everyone.

Just then, the priest vomited on the ground.

Everyone looked away from the scene in disgust.

The priest turned back to his saviors in apology.

Kagome took a water bottle from her bag and handed it to the man.

"Thank you," he said gratefully before swishing a small sip of the water in his mouth and spitting it out. He took a real drink after that, and savored every drop. "I'm Gabriel," he introduced himself.

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked Gabriel.

The priest smiled at Rick's supposed joke, only to find out that he was serious. "Do I look like I would have any weapons?" he asked rhetorically, gesturing to his outfit.

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like," Abraham stated firmly.

"Looks can be very deceiving," Shippo told the priest, "Trust me on that."

Gabriel looked at everyone and saw only Kagome and the children look at him with apology in their eyes. "I have no weapons of any kind," he answered them, "The word of God is the only protection I need."

"Sure didn't look like it," Daryl replied, earning him a jab in his arm by Kagome's elbow.

"I called for help. Help came," Gabriel pointed out to the hunter.

"He's got a point there," Souta told Daryl, making the hunter glare at him.

Rick looked over to Kagome to see if Gabriel was lying. The priestess nodded in response tell him that Gabriel was telling the truth and that his soul was honest. Even with Kagome's assurance, the group was still wary of the stranger.

"Do you have...any food?" Gabriel hesitantly asked Rick, "Whatever I had left just hit the ground."

"We have some pecans," Carl offered the man his share of food.

Gabriel smiled and accepted the offer with a smile, "Thank you."

Judith began cooing in Tyreese's arms, since the excitement died down.

The priest hadn't seen a baby in so long that he couldn't help but smile, "That's a beautiful child," he complimented the group.

Most of the adults tensed at his words and gripped their weapons tightly.

Rick looked at Gabriel dead in the eyes, making sure that no one would harm his children.

"It's okay," Kagome told them.

"This man has no intention of harming the pup," Sesshōmaru informed the group, "Or anyone here. He holds too much fear for that."

Gabriel wasn't sure how to take that last remark, but it did make everyone seem to relax around him. "Do...Do you have a camp?" he asked to change the subject.

"No," Rick answered, "Do you?"

"I have a church," Gabriel replied with a nod.

Everyone looked at each other, figuring that the location was better than nothing at all.

Just to be safe, Rick forced Gabriel to raise his arms to search him. "How many Walkers have you killed?"

"Not any. Actually," Gabriel answered honestly, as Rick finished searching from behind him.

"How many people have you killed?" Rick asked the second question after forcing Gabriel to turn around to continue his search.

"None," Gabriel asked, finding the question repulsive.

"Why?" Rick asked the final question.

Gabriel looked at the group as if it were obvious, "Because the Lord abhors violence."

Rick raised a brow, "What have you done?" The priest was confused by the question, "We've all done something."

Gabriel hesitated to answer but eventually got the confidence to answer Rick's question, "I'm a sinner...I sin almost every day. But those sins, I confess them to God...Not strangers."

Although Kagome could feel that the priest was genuine, she still felt a sense of trauma coming from the man. 'He must have done something he's deeply ashamed of...What could it be?' she wondered.

"You said you had a church," Michonne asked, bring Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Ye-yes," Gabriel replied, "I'll take you there.

Gabriel walked ahead and the group followed.

"Umm," Tara spoke over to Shippo, "Are you and the others going to be okay inside a church? You won't burst into flames or anything, right?"

The fox demon snorted at the question, "It's a church. A building won't hurt us. This guy can't either without any holy powers. Honestly, the only thing that could actually kills us now is my mother."

"What about the Walkers?" Rosita asked, overhearing the conversation.

Shippo raised a brow and thought it over, "I actually have no idea...You want to test that theory with Sesshōmaru?" he teased her.

The thought of an undead demon lord made the two tough women shudder.

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"Were you watching us?" Rick asked the priest as they walked.

Kagome looked at Rick then at Daryl, "Watching us?"

"Thought I heard somethin' last night," the hunter confessed.

Gabriel shook his head at the question, "No I keep to myself. Now a days, people can be just as dangerous as the dead."

"No," Rick retorted, "People are worse."

"Well, I wasn't watching you," Gabriel assured, "I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since this all started. That was the farthest I've gone before today."

"You were lucky then," Sophia told him.

Gabriel looked at the little blonde before noticing the skeptical looks on some of the others faces. "Or maybe I'm lying," he told them appalled, "Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels."

Before Rick could comment, Kagome spoke up, "Isn't lying a sin? No matter what the religion."

The priest looked at the priestess and smiled, "Members of my flock often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired."

"Yeah, it does," the hunter warned Gabriel about making those kind of jokes.

With that in mind, Gabriel continued to show them the way until they arrived at St. Sahra's Church.

Rick turned to the priestess and demon lord, "Well."

Kagome sensed the area, "No one living is inside."

"No living or dead corpses are nearby," Sesshōmaru whispered to Rick.

Gabriel looked at Kagome, unsure of how to comment on what he just heard.

"My sister was the priestess at our shrine," Souta explained to the priest. "Kami wanted to protect her too, and gave her the ability to do so."

"I see," Gabriel replied to the boy before as he looked to Kagome in amazement, "She's very fortunate then...I've been told that's a rare occurrence that many priest's desired to obtain."

Kagome shook her head, "Trust me. You don't."

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The group went inside the church and explored all the rooms.

It was a little sad to see the remains of the innocent people that used to come to this place of worship.

"I spent months inside here without stepping out the front door," Gabriel told them when everyone returned from exploring. "If you found someone else here it would have been surprising."

"We lost our family before. We can't help but be cautious," Sophia told the priest.

Carl looked around the church as he held his sister, "Thanks for this."

Abraham went over to Rick, "Found a short bus out back. It don't run, but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two...Looks like we found ourselves a transport."

As they continued to talk Kagome looked over skeptically at Eugene.

He certainly knew things that other people didn't.

There was no denying that.

But the priestess knew better then to trust pretty words, "Can I speak with you, Eugene?"

The mallet headed man didn't deny her request and went over to the priestess who led him to the corner of the church.

"Why are you telling my family that you know how to cure the undead?" Kagome asked them sternly.

Eugene face remained neutral, "As previously stated, I was a part of a."

The priestess shook her head as she looked at the man sternly, "Don't feed me the same story you've been telling the others," she told him straight out. "I know it's a lie. I know it. Shippo knows it. So do Sesshōmaru and Kilala. You can't fool our senses...Just tell me why you did it."

Eugene looked a little nervous knowing that he had been caught, "I...I wanted to live."

Kagome shook her head in disappointment.

She knew that Eugene wasn't a bad person.

He was a coward.

Plain and simple.

"Do you have any idea what they'll do once they learn truth?" Kagome told him after looking at Abraham and Rosita, "Abraham isn't exactly well-tempered."

"I'm well aware of the consequences," Eugene replied, "But I also know that Washington is statistically the best place for the world to be start over and be reset."

Kagome was at a loss.

What could she do to make the situation better?

The answer was nothing.

The priestess figured that keeping quiet about Eugene's deception might be the best option.

At least for now.

"If that's what you believe, that's fine. I don't see the harm in going someplace that may be a new start for everyone." The priestess steeped forward, looking Eugene dead in the eye. "But if anyone dies trying to protect you, because you're too scared to fight for yourself, you're going to have to beg for those demons to kill you in order to save you from me."

Eugene lip trampled in fear at her threat and nodded silently.

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When everyone began to settle, by putting their belongings in the church pews, Gabriel informed them of food bank in town that was overrun with Walkers. It was the only place that the priest hadn't raided in town yet.

The group needed the supplies and knew that they could handle the Walkers, so they agreed to help.

Sasha, Bob, Michonne volunteered to go on the run with Rick.

Rick also told Gabriel that they'd be going with them.

"You saw me out there," the priest remind them, "I'm no good around those things."

"Killing is a sin," Shippo said out loud, "That's what you're really thinking right."

Gabriel didn't reply but gave a small nod.

"I understand that," Kagome told him, "But Gabriel...A Walker doesn't have a soul...That moves on the moment of death, regardless if they come back. Think of it more as putting a body to rest. So the soul can find true peace."

The priest absorbed the priestess's words, "I'll...I'll try."

A few minutes later, Daryl went over to Kagome. "I'm going with Carol. Gonna look for supplies around the area. You comin'."

The priestess looked around the church, "No...I want to stay here for a little while."

The hunter didn't need to ask her why. This was most likely the closest to home that Kagome's had in a while. Souta too from the looks of him wandering around the place in wonder. "Alright," he said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead, "Stay safe."

"You too," she told him softly.

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Carl held Judith as they walked around the church with Souta and Sophia. All three of them were keeping the baby entertained as the adults were scattered to prepare for their next journey. Sesshōmaru stood guard around the church to protect them from danger.

"Thanks for having my back when Gabriel called for help," Carl told his friends.

Souta snorted, "What are you thanking us for? We'll always help look after each other."

Sophia nodded, "We're all in this together," she reminded Carl before Judith cooed loudly as she saw a bird land in a tree, making them all stop. "You can really see Lori's face when you look at her," Sophia told Carl.

The compliment made the young Grimes smile, "Yeah, she does...I wish I could go back for mom's picture at the prison."

"Same for mine too," Souta said, remembering the one photo he had of his entire family. It was an old wrinkled photo. He wasn't technically 'in' the picture, but every now and then he'd look at it and remembered what his family looked like.

Sophia looked over to the young Higurashi curiously, "I didn't know you had a picture of them."

"I kept it in my backpack this whole time," Souta told her, "Even when I went to school...It was the only one I had that has my whole family in it. My mom while she was pregnant with me, Grandpa, my sister and our dad."

Judith looked over at Souta and smiled as he made a goofy face at her.

"What was your dad like anyway?" Carl asked Souta, "You've never mention him."

Souta shrugged, "Because I didn't know him...He died before I was born. But we had my mom and grandfather, and that was all we needed then...But it was nice to have a picture."

Sophia didn't really feel the same as the boys since she'd rather forget her father all together. Then again, she did have Sesshōmaru which made up for it. As she pondered this, something caught her eye on the side of the church. "What is that?" she said out loud curiously.

The boys examined the place the young blonde was pointing and wasn't sure what to make of it.

"You'll burn for this," Souta read the words etched into the wood.

All three teenagers looked at each other, unsure of what to make of the words.

"I'll show my dad when he comes back," Carl told the others.

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Carol and Daryl walked down the road together as they carried milk jugs full of water from the creek they'd found.

"I get it," the hunter told her to fill the silence, "You don't want to talk about it...Are you okay?"

"Gotta be," she told him in reply, "I have to be for Sophia's sake."

Daryl nodded in understanding, "But we get to start over now. All of us with each other...You saved us."

"Kagome and Shippo helped," Carol reminded him, "We were lucky. We all should be dead."

They both walked until they found an abandoned car in their path. It was clear of Walkers but the battery was dead. Luckily there was one in the trunk that just needed a few hours to charge.

"We ain't dead," Daryl told Carol as she began to charge the battery. "Whatever happened, happened...Let's start over."

Carol looked at the hunter, "I want to," she admitted.

"Well you can," Daryl said, hoping he convinced her to stay with their group. He could tell that she was ready to run at a moment's notice. Most likely taking Sophia with her, which would have broken both of the Higurashi siblings' hearts.

Instead of replying to Daryl's comment she said, "We should keep this car here in case things go south at the church."

She picked both waters up, which Daryl offered to carry. However he ended up dropping one of his own milk jugs in the process, which made Carol decline his offer in amusement. The hunter rolled his eyes before he picked up his jug and continued to head back to the church.

"You know when I left the prison with Merle, I didn't think Kagome would forgive me when I came back," Daryl told Carol, who halted in her steps to look at the hunter. "But she did...It took time...But she was happy I came back."

Carol shrugged her shoulders, "Why are you telling me this?"

Daryl stopped and look over his shoulder, "I'm sayin' it's okay not to forgive Sesshōmaru right away...But he kept his promise." Carol raised a brow. "He said he'd be back when the Governor was dead. And he did," he pointed out before continuing to the church.

Carol knew that the hunter was right.

The demon lord never made a promise that he hadn't kept.

'But that doesn't mean I like it,' she thought to herself as she followed Daryl down the road.

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Shippo sat in a pew as he stared at the front of the church.

He didn't think of himself as religious.

But he had prayed during his centuries of living.

Lately the fox demon had been praying to be reunited with his mate.

'I know you're fighting Beth,' Shippo thought to himself as he sent his feeling through their bond. 'Just hang on a little longer...I'm going to find you, my love.'

"Shippo," Kagome called to her son to bring him out of his thoughts.

The fox demon looked at his mother, "You okay?"

The priestess nodded as she sat next to her son, "Abraham asked me to join him and the others to Washington."

Shippo raised a brow, "This guy obviously doesn't know you very well if he thinks you'll leave everyone," he retorted, "Especially for some bull shit story about a cure."

Kagome shrugged, "Its keeping them motivated...How can we shatter that illusion knowing it could break them?"

"That is a tough one," the fox demon commented, "So you want to keep quiet about it?"

The priestess nodded, "We have nowhere else to go. There's no harm in taking a look...Just as long as they don't risk their lives for Eugene."

Shippo nodded in agreement, "Do you think Abraham will have the balls to ask Sesshōmaru to go to Washington?"

Kagome couldn't help but snort in amusement, "If he does I hope I'm there to witness it."

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Later that night, everyone gathered around the church to eat the food the others brought back from the food bank. They needed to regain their strength and decided to gorge themselves a little only after some careful rationing.

It was a real feast that included communion wine provided by Gabriel.

There was even some laughter in the air.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Abraham suddenly called to everyone, silencing them. "I look around this room, and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. Even the little ones."

"Hell yeah," Souta called out from one of the pews, earning a small smack from his sister as she sat on the floor next to Daryl.

"Watch your language in a church," the priestess warned him earning a few chuckles from the adults.

Abraham smiled too and raised his class, "To the survivors."

"Survivors!" everyone cheered before partaking in their drinks. Most of the adults drank wine while the others and teens drank water.

"Is that all you want to be?" Abraham asked them after they settled down. "Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat?"

The group looked at each other, not daring to answer that question.

"Cause you can do that," Abraham continued, "I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. And supernatural muscle," he gestured to the demons. "The thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip...Eugene, what's in DC?"

Without missing a beat, the man answered, "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge...Restart."

Abraham smiled, "However this plays out, however long it takes to rest button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safe than you've been since this whole thing started...Come with us. Save the world for that little one," he gestured to Judith who was sitting in Rick's lap on the floor. "Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who don't got nothing left to do except survive."

The church was quiet as most of the group looked to Rick for guidance.

It was broken by Judith's cooing.

"What was that?" Rick asked his daughter, making her coo again. "I think she knows what I'm about to say. She's in. If she's in, I'm in...We're in."

As everyone began to talk amongst themselves, three pairs of observant eyes noticed two people missing.

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Carol dragged Sophia through the woods to the car that she and Daryl had found earlier that day.

"Mama, I don't want to leave," Sophia begged her mother as she dragged her to the car.

"We have to, baby," Carol told her, "I don't want to be separated from you again."

Sophia shook her head and pulled her arm away, "Why can't we stay?"

Carol let out a sigh, "Sophia, I don't want to argue with you. I-We just can't start over with them this time." Once they made it to the car, Carol began to charge the battery. Sophia knew it wasn't safe to wander in the woods in the dark especially since she had no real idea on how to find the church again.

It wasn't until Carol killed a stray Walker that came out of the woods that the blonde finally understood why her mother wanted to run. "You think they won't forgive you for Karen and David."

The older woman looked at her daughter in horror, "Who told you?"

"I'm not stupid," Sophia replied, "Mama...You've changed ever since Sesshōmaru left."

"That's not true," Carol tried to argue.

"You love him," Sophia argued, "And you don't want him to hurt you...But not everyone is like Daddy, Mama."

"I know!" Carol barked at her daughter who was surprised to hear her mother raise her voice at her. "I know," she said quietly before going over to hold her daughter's face. "But you're right...I have changed...And I'm scared of what I'll do. It'll be best if I took myself out of the picture."

"Says who?" Kagome asked, startling the two as she came out of the woods with Daryl and Sesshōmaru in tow.

Carol looked at the demon lord, wondering if he heard everything that had been said. It was hard to tell since his face remained neutral. 'I should have figured he'd notice Sophia missing,' she thought to herself.

"What are you doin'?" Daryl asked his friend.

Carol looked at the three questioning pair of eyes and shook her head, "I don't know."

Kagome was the one to walk over to the older woman and grabbed her hands, "Please don't leave us."

Before Carol could respond, the sound of a car speeding down the road caught their attention. Sesshōmaru immediately grabbed Sophia and pressed her to the ground behind the car. The other adults ducked behind the car as well, hoping the car didn't turn down the street to find them.

Luckily the car continued to speed down the road.

Daryl ran to the road to see the car, and his eyes narrow in rage.

A black car with a white cross on the glass.

The same car that took Beth.

In anger, the hunter ran to the car grabbed his crossbow and began to smash the lights off the car.

"What are you doing?!" Carol questioned in alarmed confusion.

"Daryl?" Kagome said just as baffled.

The hunter turned to the woman after he smashed the last light, "They've got Beth."

Kagome didn't need any more explanation then that. "Take Sophia back and tell the others. Tell Shippo we'll bring Beth back," she told the demon lord.

Sesshōmaru nodded and put his arm around the young teen.

"Be careful," Sophia cautioned as Daryl and Kagome took the driver and passenger side of the car. Carol looked at her daughter for a moment before looking at the demon, "Take care of her."

Sophia's eyes widened as her mom got in the back seat of the car and Daryl quickly drove to catch up to the car. "They're...She's coming back...Right?" she asked Sesshōmaru.

The demon lord watched the car shrink in the distance, "They will retrieve the kitsune's mate. And then return." The young blonde nodded in reassurance. "Let's go back," he encouraged as they began to walk in the woods.

Sophia didn't notice when Sesshōmaru turned his head over his shoulder down the now abandoned road. 'Don't do anything foolish, Onna.'

Both demon and young teenager made it about half way back to the church when Sesshōmaru suddenly stopped.

The young blonde turned to look at him, "What's wrong?"

The demon lord sniffed the air and growled, "We're being hunted."

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Beth had a rough couple of days at Grady Hospital.

First had been slapped by Dawn after she realized the doctor couldn't save a survivor. That forced the same doctor to repair the stitches that were on her cheek. A parting gift from the police officer's 'rescue.'

Then she had to assist in amputating a woman named Joan's arm after she tried to escape the hospital and was bitten by a Walker. The act had given her flashbacks of what her father had to go through.

Would he have been proud of her or disappointed?

Beth's day seemed to have gotten better after meeting Noah. Another person that the people of Grady saved against their will.

He was like her in a way.

Dawn thought both of them were weak and wouldn't fight back.

But they didn't know a damn thing about them.

Both of them were going to get out of this hell hole, if it was the last thing they'd do.

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Rick paced back and forth as he took in the information that the demon lord told him on his return, "How many?"

Sesshōmaru nodded, "There are six in total."

Rick cursed under his breath.

He should have killed those people at Terminus when he had the chance.

And now Bob was missing.

He had gone outside saying he needed some air but hadn't returned. The group was about to look for him when Sesshōmaru came bursting in the church with Sophia in his arms at an almost inhuman speed, and told them that they were being watched.

Sasha immediately accused Gabriel of being involved with the people at Terminus, but Shippo and Sesshōmaru claimed his innocence of the whole situation.

They could only smell a coward.

That's when Gabriel confessed that he locked the church up when people were coming for sanctuary of the dead attacking them.

He didn't open the door.

They begged for mercy, and he still didn't unlock the doors.

"You'll burn for this," Souta quoted allowed after the priest explained his story.

A sudden noise outside got the adult attention.

The demon lord took a quick sniff in the air, "I smell blood."

Maggie turned to the demon lord, "Who?"

Sesshōmaru turned to the direction of the smell, "Bob."

At his name Sasha immediately ran outside, followed by Rick, Glenn, Maggie and Tara.

Sure enough, Bob was lying unconscious on the ground.

His leg had been amputated.

Sasha gasped in horror, "Oh my God," she cried for her boyfriend, "Bob? Bob!"

Sesshōmaru exited the church and used his demon senses to scan the woods, "They're here," he told Rick quietly as to not alert the people of Terminus that they were catching on to them.

Sasha and Tara helped carry a wounded Bob inside the church. Luckily Bob's leg had been bandaged, so they weren't worked about blood loss.

Walkers began coming from the woods due to the commotion and the smell of fresh blood. Glenn, Maggie, Rick and Sesshōmaru illuminated that threat with no problem. Suddenly gun shots began to fire, making the humans retreat inside the church.

Sesshōmaru's eyes turned red before he went into the church, prepared to protect Sophia.

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Bob was conscious enough to tell the group where the people of Terminus were camped. Gabriel informed him of the location and also revealed that he'd been bitten by a Walker when they were at the food bank.

"Does he have a fever?" Rick asked Maggie after the others took Bob into Gabriel's office. Carl, Souta, and Sophia took Judith into another room after she was getting fussy.

"He's just warm," she answered him.

"Jim lasted almost two days before we left him," Glenn reminded Rick. Jim was the longest they've ever seen a person last before they turned into a Walker.

Abraham cleared his throat, "Time for a reality check. We all need to leave for DC right now."

Before Rick could comment, the demon lord spoke, "No."

The redheaded army man glared in the demon, "And why not?"

"These humans threatened Sophia's life," Sesshōmaru stated coldly, "The packs life. For that, they must die."

"There is a clear threat to Eugene," Abraham countered, "I need to extract his ass before things get any uglier. If y'all won't come, good luck to you. We'll go our separate ways."

Abraham began to walk away, "You leaving on foot?" Rick asked him.

That made the army man pause. They worked hard on trying to get that church bus to work, and Rick was threatening to keep it away. As they spoke, Shippo glanced over at Eugene who was remaining quiet as they talked. Now would have been a good opportunity for the man to come clean about who he is, but Eugene stayed silent. 'Idiot,' the fox demon thought toward the human.

"Daryl, Carol, and Kagome are our people. We're not going anywhere without them," Rick growled.

"Your people took off," Abraham scolded the group leader.

This caught Shippo' attention, forcing him to get to Abraham's face, "They left to save my mate! If you think I'm abandoning Beth, you've got another thing coming! Human!"

Amazingly, Abraham didn't flinch when the fox demon showed the red in his demonic eyes.

"Shippo stop!" Glenn gently pushed his brother in-law away from the army man. Both human and demon stared each other down. Glenn did his best to interfere again by speaking to Abraham. "Do you really think that you're gonna be any safer leaving right now in the middle of the night?" the Korean asked him. "We need each other for this. We need each other to get to DC. We can get through it all together."

"I have an idea," Tara spoke up before stepping forward and addressing Abraham. "If you stay just one more day and help...I'll go with you to DC, no matter what." She looked over to Rick, Shippo and Sesshōmaru, "Okay?"

The three looked at one another, but before they could give any hint of an answer, Abraham counter offered.

"Glenn and Maggie too," he stated his bargain.

"No," Rick replied.

Abraham shrugged, "Good luck then. I'm not interested in breaking up what you have here. Rosita, grab your gear," he ordered, "Eugene let's go."

"I," Eugene muttered from his spot in the pew, "I don't want to."

"Now," Abraham growled.

"Okay," Eugene cowardly gave in and stood up.

Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed at the weak willed human, 'Pathetic.'

As Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene began to walk out of the church Rick spoke again, "You're not taking the bus."

Abraham halted, "Try and stop me."

Rick began to walking toward Abraham, trying to do just that.

"Wait, wait, wait wait," Glenn tried to stop them before speaking to Abraham. "You stay. You stay and help us, and Maggie and I will go with you."

"No," Rick stated firmly.

Glenn shook his head, "It's not your call."

Abraham finally agreed to the conditions but only for half a day, making Shippo looked over to Maggie in disbelief, "Don't you want to be here when your sister comes back?"

"We don't have a choice," the brunet replied weakly. Maggie was afraid to believe that her sister really was okay, regardless of Shippo's claim about their 'connection'.

The fox demon shook his head in disappointment, "Yeah you do...And you're choosing wrong," he stated before walking passed his sister in-law and went to check on the children.

Maggie watched Shippo as he walked away before looking at the ground, wondering if she was doing the right thing.

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"Why not just let Sesshōmaru and Shippo handle the situation?" Eugene asked the teenagers from his spot in Gabriel's office on the floor. Him, the children, Judith, Kilala, Tyreese, and Rosita stayed locked in the office, while the others left to take care of the people at Terminus. "Even just Kilala could handle things even if she wanted to."

The cat demon meowed smugly in reply, knowing that she could if given the chance.

"Of course they could," Souta answered for Michonne. "But if we rely on their strength alone, we grow weak."

"They're always an absolute last resort," Carl continued, "The group decided that a long time ago."

Sophia nodded from her spot next to Judith's basket, "We need to stay strong, and prove that we're worth protecting."

Eugene, Rosita and Gabriel looked at the young teenagers in astonishment.

Suddenly, Kilala's hair stood on end and began to hiss at the door.

"They're here," Souta whispered to the others who held their breath in suspense.

Sure enough, they heard the front door of the church being broken into.

The people of Terminus have arrived.

Carl, and Souta stood up and armed themselves by the door, in case the worse should happen and they were found. Kilala stood behind them, ready to transform and protect the others if necessary. Sophia sat by Judith, to help her stay quiet. Rosita stood next to Eugene who remained quiet on the floor. Tyreese was kneeled next to Bob on the couch.

" _Well, I guess you know we're here,"_ they heard Gareth speak from the other side of the door. They also heard shuffling, which meant there were others with him. They were searching for them _. "And we know you're here...And we're armed. So there's really no point in hiding anymore."_

Gabriel began muttering prayers under his breath.

" _We've been watching you,"_ Gareth continued, " _We know who's here...There's Bob, unless you've put him out of his miser already. And Eugene. Rosita. Martin's good friend Tyreese. Carl. Souta. Sophia. Aaand Judith."_

Everyone stood firm inside the office.

" _Rick and the rest walked out...with a lot of your guns,"_ Gareth stated as a fact. _"Listen, we don't know where you all are, but this isn't a big place. So let's just stop this now, before things get more painful than they need to be."_

The door of the office began to rattle, but stayed locked.

They could hear Gareth sighing, _"Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take down both. Can't imagine that's what you all want."_ They heard a gun being cocked to prove Gareth's point _. "How about the priest?"_ he asked suddenly, _"Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this. Just open the door and you can go. You can take the baby with you...What do you say?"_

'Liar,' Souta thought to himself.

Suddenly, Judith began to cry since the tension coming from everyone, was too much for her.

Sophia picked the infant up and rocked her soothingly, trying to calm her down.

But it was too late.

Gareth and his people, knew where they were hiding now.

" _I don't know. Maybe we'll keep the kid. I'm starting to like this girl,"_ Gareth spoke in amusement.

Carl unlocked the safety of his gun, when he heard that.

They could hear the rest of the safeties being turned off on the guns by the people of Terminus. _"It's your last chance right now to tell us you're coming out,"_ Gareth warned them.

There was silence for a few moments.

" _Are we done?"_ a voice asked Gareth, that Tyreese recognized as Martin.

" _We'll hit the hinges,"_ Gareth ordered his people.

"Hurry up already," Carl muttered under his breath, wondering what was taking their family so long.

Sure enough, the sound of silencers was heard and two bodies hit the ground with a thump. They were dead most likely.

Rick and the others returned from their run around. He and the others went out, wanting to draw Gareth and his people to the church. They knew, they couldn't resist an easy target. It was also the best way to end this without wasting too many bullets.

" _Put your guns on the floor,"_ they heard Rick order harshly.

Carl and Souta lowered their weapons, and put their safeties back on.

" _Rick, we'll fire right into that office. So you lower your gun,"_ Gareth tried to threatened the man, only to have him silenced by Rick shooting him in the fingers. They knew this by the sound of a gun being dropped to the floor, followed by a large thump.

" _Put your guns on the floor and kneel,"_ Rick ordered harshly.

" _Do what he says,"_ Gareth told his people as he whimpered on the floor.

They heard guns being tossed to the ground.

" _No point in begging, right?"_ they heard Gareth speak, most likely talking to Rick.

It took a few moments for Rick to answer, _"No."_

" _Still, you could have killed us when you came in. There had to be a reason for that,"_ Gareth pointed out, thinking that these people were too soft to murder them.

But he was wrong.

There would be no mercy for them tonight.

" _We didn't want to waste the bullets,"_ Rick stated his answer.

They could hear Gareth whimper in pain, _"We used to help people. We saved people...Things changed. They came in and...And after that...I know that you've been out there, but I can see it. You don't know what it is to be hungry...You don't have to do this. We can walk away. And we will never cross paths again...I promise you."_

" _But you'll cross someone's path,"_ Rick pointed out, _"You'd do this to anyone, right? Besides...I already made you a promise."_

" _NO!"_ Gareth screamed as they heard the sounds of him and his people being beaten and killed by their family.

Sophia closed her eyes and held Judith close to her. She knew this was something that had to be done, but she wish she didn't' have to hear it. Souta was at her side in an instant and held her close. She heard him muttering in Japanese, most likely praying for forgiveness.

Gabriel whimpered from his spot on the floor.

Tyreese unlocked the door and cracked it open enough to see his sister brutally kill Martin.

It was a terrifying sight.

Shippo and Sesshōmaru stood back and watched their pack with pride as they protected one another.

A few moments later, it was over.

Gareth and his people were dead.

"It could have been us," Rick said out loud to everyone as they took in the scene around them.

Gabriel walked of the office and looked at the scene around him in horror. Rick and a few other's passed by him as if it were nothing. "This is the Lord's house," he told Maggie and Glenn, as they stood outside.

Maggie shook her head, "No...It's just four walls and a roof."

Shippo walked over to Michonne as she lifted something from one of the backpacks discarded on the ground.

Her sword.

"It's a part of you...It's in your blood," Shippo told her as he reached over and squeezed her shoulder, "Don't be ashamed of it."

She nodded in understanding as she sheathed her katana.

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In the morning, the group said their goodbyes to Bob. He had remained strong to stay alive that night, but he could feel his time drawing to an end.

Sasha was with him until the very moment that he died. She tried to be the one to make sure he didn't come back, as her final act of her love for him, but Tyreese let himself be the one to do it.

A small funeral was held for Bob outside of the church.

Later that afternoon, as promised, Maggie, Glenn, and Tara left with Abraham on the bus to head to Washington. Rick agreed to follow them after Daryl, Carol, and Kagome returned with Beth. Maggie didn't have to look at Shippo to see the disappointment in his eyes. Of course she knew her sister was alive...But she was afraid to get her hopes up.

It was night now, and Michonne was on guard for the night.

Every now and then she would look at her sword, wondering if it was wrong to want the sword but wishing she didn't need it.

Kilala was on her shoulder rubbing against her face in comfort. The cat demon had seen many demon slayers go through this exact same thing. Loving the thrill of battle, but also not wanting to be a part of it.

This was a trial all slayers must face.

A noise in the woods startled both of them. Michonne drew her sword in defense but sighed in relief when she saw Daryl come out of the woods.

At least for a moment.

"Where's Carol and Kagome?" she asked the hunter in concern when she noticed their absence.

Daryl clenched his fist in anger before turning to look over his shoulder, "Come on out!"

Two people emerged from the woods.

One of them was someone Michonne didn't recognize, "What happened? Where's?"

"It's a long story," a female voice interrupted the sword wielder, "We need to talk to Rick. Now. We have to get our people back."

Shippo quickly ran outside after he heard Daryl's voice. He knew Beth wasn't with the hunter. But he immediately knew something was wrong. "Daryl...Where's my mother?"

 **Be honest. How many of you saw that coming. *insert readers sharpening their pitchforks* *insert me gulping in fear* So tell me what you think? Next time: The hunt down for Beth. And what the hell happened to Kagome?**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	30. What Was and What Will Be

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Thank you all my fabulous reviewers: Altiria-Aty, The Blue Insanity 8500, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, masterbroly, jumpingmanatee, MidnightReader1,** **12345678910 (Guest), 1Whitedragon (Guest), Bubur (Guest), missmeow1968, MOONWOLF1234, bloodmoon25, Guest and KawaiiKittyHigh. Your support is much appreciated. And my new followers:** **Oh-So-Cute, missmeow1968,** **Ash's Angel Yami, heichou, Skydragon06251989, , Purple Marshmellows, Missabakuno, Willow-Bee the Cat, and The Vitruvian Woman. You guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy the next few chapters.**

Disclaimer: I can't say this enough. (Cause thirty times is a lot) I don't own the anime/manga Inuyasha or the TV Show/Comic of the Walking Dead...or any other medium these stories have.

Chapter Thirty: What Was and What Will Be

Daryl had been beating himself up since they began heading to the church.

How did this happen?

How did they lose track of Kagome?

Is she alive?

Those were the questions plaguing his mind and what people demanded to know from him and Carol.

This was all his fault.

'I shouldn't have let them get ahead of me,' the hunter thought as the flashes of what happened remained fresh on his mind.

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 _One Day Ago_

Daryl was driving the car with Kagome in the passenger seat and Carol in the middle seat of the back.

"So it was just you and Beth when the prison fell?" Carol asked the hunter as he was driving, keeping a decent distance away from the retreating vehicle ahead of them.

They needed to remain hidden.

"Yeah," the hunter replied as he drove.

"You saved her," Carol figured.

Daryl shook his head, "She's tough. Beth saved herself."

"We tried to make sure of that," Kagome nodded with the hunter in agreement. "Shippo's going be upset that we didn't take him with us to save his mate."

"Mate?" Carol repeated in confusion.

"It's a demon thing," the priestess quickly explained, "Shippo and Beth are married by demon tradition."

Carol's eyes widened, "I didn't know about that."

"It wasn't planned," Kagome retorted, "And it's not a public affair. But I'm glad it happened...I've always wanted a daughter."

Daryl didn't comment until he noticed the tank on the dashboard, "We're running low."

Carol rolled her eyes, "We can end this quick. Just run them off the road."

The priestess shook her head, "That's too risky."

"We're good for a bit," the hunter assured them.

"If they're holding her somewhere we can get it out of the driver," Carol told the both of them.

"But if he don't talk we'll be back to square one," Daryl pointed out to her.

Kagome turned over to Carol, "We know Beth's alive because of Shippo's bond with her. If we take these people out and their people get suspicious, Kami knows what they'll do to her."

Daryl nodded in agreement, "We'll see if they have a group. See what they can do. Then do what we have to do to get her back."

They drove in silence for a while until Carol noticed something. "They're heading north...To I-85."

Kagome raised a brow, "Why's that road sound familiar?"

Daryl sent her a side glance before answering, "They're heading to Atlanta."

The priestess's eyes widened at the sight of the destroyed city.

It was the beginning of their journey so long ago, 'And now we've returned.'

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Daryl drove slowly and quietly as he tailed the car. The darkness of night were able to protect them from being seen by the car they were following.

Oddly there weren't as many Walkers in the streets of Atlanta since the last time all of them were in the city.

A majority of the dead left the big city in search of the living to feed off of.

But enough still remained to cause a problem for a group that didn't know what they were doing.

When the black car finally pulled over, Daryl stopped the car and killed the engine to avoid any noise that would alarm the people they were following.

"How many are there?" the hunter asked the priestess.

"Two," Kagome answered him after sensing their souls, "At least two that are living."

All three pairs of eyes watched as one of the unknown people came out of the car from the passenger side. He was dressed as a police officer from what they could tell in the dark. As he walked down the street, a Walker suddenly tapped on the car startling Kagome, Daryl and Carol. They wanted to kill the Walker but couldn't risk being seen by the driver of the black car. The cop later returned after clearing the road so the car could get through. He hesitated for a moment when he noticed the Walker wanting to get in the car. Kagome held her breath in worry before the police officer returned inside the car and drove off.

Daryl attempted to start the car but the engine stalled, "Shit! Tank's tapped." He looked over at the two women, "They'd have taken the bypass and they didn't. They must be holed up in the city somewhere."

Kagome nodded, since that made sense, "I can try to sense for them."

"Not here," the hunter told her as more Walkers came into view.

"I know a place," Carol informed them, "Its a few blocks from here."

The trio quickly armed themselves, knowing they'd have to run. Each of them took out their knives and looked at one another to see if they were ready. On Daryl's mark, they stormed out of the car and dashed down the road on Carol's direction. All three of them we're taking down any Walker's that crossed their path.

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They managed to make it a few blocks until Carol pointed to the building. Daryl quickly took his knife to try and unlock the closed door. Kagome held up a barrier to protect them while Carol took out the Walkers that came too close.

"Got it," he told the women as he yanked the back door of the building open, "Come on."

Kagome released her barrier and headed to Daryl while Carol stood still as the Walkers approached.

They thought only two more were coming.

But it turned out to be over a dozen.

"Carol," the priestess called over to the woman, who finally moved and went inside the building with them.

Daryl slammed the door shut, before Kagome blocked it with heavy furniture that was nearby.

Luckily, it looked like there weren't any Walkers inside the building. At least not in the section they were currently residing.

'What is this place?' Kagome wondered to herself.

"You used to work here or somethin'?" Daryl asked the woman that led them here.

"Or something," Carol answered vaguely.

Thanks to a set of keys Daryl found on a dead body, it was easy for the trio to maneuver through the halls and rooms. Plus Carol seemed to know where she was going, which confused Kagome even more.

It wasn't until Carol stopped inside a bunk bedded room that things started to become clear.

"What is this place?" Daryl finally asked her.

It took a few moments for Carol to answer "It's temporary housing."

A woman's shelter.

It had been so long that Kagome sometimes forgot what kind of life Carol had before the dead started rising. 'She's come such a long way since then...We all have.'

"You came here?" Daryl asked a little surprised as he looked at a book labeled, 'Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse.'

"With Sophia...We didn't stay," Carol assured as she placed a few things they found on the way on the top bunk. "You both should sleep, I'll take first watch."

"I need to see if I can find Beth first," Kagome informed her. "It'll be easier to concentrate now that we're not moving."

Carol looked at the priestess as she went to the window and closed her eyes. "How does that work?" she asked the Asian woman who tilted her head in confusion with her eyes still closed, "Sensing souls?"

Kagome opened her eyes to look at Carol before answering, "It's hard to put into words...But if I had to...It's like reaching out to a being with your mind and heart. It feels easy when you're emotionally close to the person. They're souls are more open to me...With strangers it's more tricky, because they're guarded. But it's more obvious to guess what kind of souls they have. Sometimes you don't even need to have holy powers to know when someone's good or bad...You just know." The priestess looked to the window again and closed her eyes to scan the area.

Carol looked over at Daryl and noticed the hunter was watching Kagome in obvious concern. He knew how weak the priestess could become if she pushed her powers too far. Carol decided to keep his mind occupied from worry and went to sit next to him. "You said before that we get to start over," Carol said, making the hunter nodded in recollection as he turned to the woman. "Did you?" she asked him referring to him starting over.

Daryl turned his gaze back to the priestess before answering Carol's question, "I'm tryin'."

The two were silent for a few moments.

"Why don't you say what's really on your mind?" the hunter suggested to the woman.

Carol chose her words carefully, "I don't think we get to save people anymore."

Daryl was stunned by her statement, "Then why are you here?"

Again, Carol was careful with her phrasing, "I'm trying."

Kagome finally opened her eyes and leaned against the wall in support. Daryl was immediately at her side. "I'm fine," she told him as he wiped some sweat off her brow. "Beth's okay...But where she is...There's some very tortured souls along with her."

"We'll get her," Daryl promised as he kissed her forehead, "You did good, Baby Girl."

A sudden banging down the hall caused all three of them to be alert.

"Stay behind me," Daryl ordered Kagome as they went down the hall with Carol right behind them.

Walkers were trapped behind locked doors.

One of them was the size of a child from what they could tell from the blurred glass.

Carol tried to step forward and take care of the problem before Daryl stopped her, "You don't have to."

Normally, Kagome would have been on Carol's side of the situation, but was afraid of what it'd do to the woman's already fragile state. When Carol tried to go past them again, Kagome was the one that stopped her, "You don't."

All three of them went back and decided to rest until morning.

Carol finally agreed to sleep on the top bunk while Daryl and Kagome squeezed into the bottom bunk. The priestess was pretty much laying on top of the hunter on the small twin bed, which didn't bother Daryl in the slightest.

After being separated for so long he liked having his priestess close to him.

"We'll put their bodies to rest in the mornin'," Daryl whispered in Kagome's ear, referring to the Walkers down the hall.

The priestess smiled brightly, "That's my Tenshi."

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The priestess and hunter woke up before Carol did, and took care of the Walkers and their bodies on the roof of the building. Luckily it was a small building so the taller ones blocked the smoke that could be seen from a distance.

A little while later, Carol came out and saw what they'd done.

She smiled at them for their act of kindness.

Once they were finished, they packed up their belongings and went on their way. The car was heading downtown of Atlanta, which Kagome confirmed sensing Beth in that direction.

"Let's get ourselves a tall buildin'. Get ourselves a view. See what we see," the hunter suggested to the women.

Carol nodded in agreement, "We can stay close to the buildings and keep quiet, but sooner or later, we're gonna be drawing'em."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Kagome said as she wrapped her bow around her arm, ready to pull it out when necessary. "I'll protect us from Walkers if I have to," she promised them.

Daryl didn't like that plan since they've been relying on the priestess's powers too often. He could tell that searching for Bet last night took a lot out of her. Which was why it was up to him to make sure she didn't have to use her powers.

Once outside in the open, he hunter distracted the Walkers in the street by starting a fire with a notepad and one of his matches and threw it at an abandoned car. The dead creatures were drawn to the dancing lights, allowing the trio to run pass them with no problem. After picking a location to go through, they ran through the outside parking lot and sneaked inside the building. It looked like there were once people who camped out in the hall ways of the building, most likely wanting both the safety of the walls and light from the windows.

But that didn't stop them from dying.

Walkers were found in the hallway that attached two buildings together.

They were stuck in tightly zipped sleeping bags and tents.

Daryl, Kagome, and Carol looked at one another as they all went forward and began stabbing the Walkers trapped in sleeping bags in the brain. Carol used her knife, Kagome used one of her arrows, while Daryl used his knife or crossbow. The hunter was the one to check the bodies for anything useful.

"Some days, I don't know what the hell to think," Daryl admitted as a Walker tried to escape the tent.

"Story of my life so far," Kagome replied as they slowly went passed the tents that held the Walkers securely.

When they made it to the door of the other side, it was chained up. But there was enough room for a person to squeeze through one at a time, without any bags or weapons. Carol went in first after putting her gun the ground inside the room, wanting to make sure the area was clear. Kagome went in close behind her, just in case she had to put a barrier around her and Carol, or her and Daryl. The hunter kept her things as she went in and grabbed them once she went through safely. Daryl had to come through the door last, putting his crossbow and bag in first.

It was a bit of a tight fit for him.

"Good thing we skipped breakfast," he grunted as he struggled to squeeze through the door.

"Not our fault you've got big muscles," Kagome teased him with a smile as she helped him up to his feet.

Even Carol snickered at the comment before they closed the door behind them and went through the building.

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Daryl insisted to go first to one of the rooms of the building. Some kind of high paid suit office from the looks of the expensive items around the office, and whistled the woman over when he saw that it was clear of Walkers.

Carol walked over to one of the windows.

The destruction from the bombing of the city could be seen on the black smears over the brick of buildings. The trees and grass of a nearby park were all brown and dead. Walkers roamed the street mindlessly.

'This must have been a nice view once,' Kagome thought as she looked at it all.

"How did we get here?" Carol asked them.

Daryl shrugged, "Mm-mm," he muttered his answer, "We just did."

"There are just some things we might not ever get answers too," Kagome figured, "We can get angry about it...Cry about it...But we can sure as hell fight it."

Carol nodded before glancing over at the couple, "Neither of you have asked me what happened...After I met up with Tyreese, Lizzie and Mika."

"I know what happened," the hunter replied, "The girls ain't here."

"It was worse than that," Carol admitted to them.

The priestess didn't want Carol to go into too much detail about what happened to Lizzie and Mika, figuring it was too much for her. But she had to know this, "Did they suffer?" she ask Carol softly.

Carol shook her head in reply, "It was quick."

Kagome lowered her head gratefully for that, and prayed for Lizzie and Mika's souls.

"After all this time, you still believe in God?" Carol asked the priestess.

When the priestess finished her prayer she looked back at Carol, "My powers had to come from somewhere, right?"

Daryl looked at the two woman as they both had a silent understanding about where they stood in their beliefs. He figured now was a good time to draw the conversation somewhere else, "The reason I said we get to start over...Is because we gotta...The way it was..."

He didn't have to finish his sentence.

They understood that the world they once knew was never coming back.

"Yeah," Carol replied, knowing that he meant.

Kagome smiled at the woman, glad that she was finally forgiving herself, little by little.

Suddenly, something caught Daryl's eye. He tried to lean closer and get a better look.

"What is it?" his priestess asked him.

"Hand me a rifle," he told Carol, who gave him what he asked. He used the scope of the rifle to get a better look out the window.

A van was on a bridge, leaning over the edge.

A van with a white cross on the back window.

"Look," Daryl gave it to Kagome for her to see.

"It looks abandoned," she said out loud before handing the rifle to Carol, so she could look through it.

The older woman saw the van and nodded, "But it's definitely theirs."

It was closest to a lead of which building Beth was hidden.

Kagome looked around the room and saw a water cool around the corner, still half full. The priestess walked over and filled her water bottle up while she could. Carol followed her example, since they didn't know how long they'd be in the city.

Meanwhile, Daryl was looking at a painting by the window.

An abstract painting.

"What?" Carol asked, wondering what his fascination of the painting was.

"I bet this cost some rich prick a lot of money," he said looking at the art work, "Looks like a dog sat in paint and just wiped its ass all over the place."

Kagome snorted, almost chocking as she drank her water, "Too bad Sesshōmaru wasn't here to hear you say that."

Even Carol smiled at that, "Oh he'd have loved that."

Daryl shrugged, not really caring as he grabbed Kagome's bottle of water and took a swig from it.

"I kind of like it," Carol said, making Daryl snort, "I do. You don't know me," she joked.

The hunter put the water away and grabbed his crossbow from the office table, "Yeah, keep tellin' yourself that."

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Knowing what to expect, the trio decided to go down the hallway they came through.

Carol threw her gun and belongings through the gap of the door and slid inside.

Kagome went in next, leaving her arrows and bow with Daryl.

"Wait," Carol was about to warn the priestess before she heard a gun be cocked.

The priestess looked at the young man in front of him. Even with Carol's rifle in his hands, she could tell he looked scared.

"Hands up, all of you," he ordered with the firearm aimed at them.

Carol and Kagome did as they were told.

Daryl cursed under his breath as he pushed Kagome's bow and arrow through the gap and squeezed in the door with his crossbow in front of him.

"Lay down your bow and crossbow," the man with the gun ordered.

The hunter snorted, "You've got some sack on you."

"Look, nobody has to get hurt," the young man said in honesty. Anxiety was clearly etched on his face, "I just need weapons, that's it."

Kagome nodded her head while she reached her bow and quiver took them off her back. She read the young man's soul and knew there wasn't an evil bone in body. 'But he's definitely desperate,' the priestess reasoned. "Do you have someone to protect?" she asked him.

The young man looked at the Asian woman in confusion. Carol and Daryl looked at the priestess just as baffled. Daryl hadn't heard Kagome ask a question like that in a while. That usually means that she didn't sense any malicious in someone's soul.

"What?" the young man asked her.

"It's why you want the weapons, right?" Kagome asked him, since that was the strongest emotion she could sense from the young man robbing them.

The desire to protect.

The young man didn't want to answer her question, "Lady, please, just give me your weapon," he begged in his threat.

Kagome put her bow and arrows on the ground in front of him, "All you had to do was ask nicely."

Daryl shook his head in annoyance as he laid down his crossbow.

"Back up," he told them. Once they followed the instruction, the young man reached for the bow and arrows, and crossbow still aiming his gun at the trio. "I'm sorry," he told them.

"I can tell," the priestess nodded in understanding.

The young man adjusted his hold on the gun. Not expecting this kind of reaction from these people. The Asian woman seemed like a good person anyway. 'I can't think about that...I've got to rescue Beth,' Noah thought to himself.

"I'm sorry about this," he said drawing out a knife and slashing holes in the tent for the Walkers to escape. "You look tough. Y'all be alright," Noah said as he limped away.

The Walkers exited the tent and headed straight for the trio.

Daryl pulled out his knife, while Kagome pulled out the one she carried in her waistband, while Carol pulled out a hand gun.

Taking down the small number of Walkers was easy, especially for Carol with her gun.

Before he was out of sight, Carol aimed her gun at Noah.

Just when she was about to pull the trigger, Daryl reached over and pushed Carol's gun to fire into the ground.

Carol looked at the man in disbelief.

"No time to argue," Kagome told them as they chased after the boy who robbed them.

Unfortunately, he locked the door that led to the parking lot allowing him to escape.

"Damn it," Daryl cursed out loud.

The priestess looked down the other hallway, "There's got to be another way out."

"We have three bullets," Carol snapped at Daryl as they walked down the second hallway, "We're in the middle of a city. He was stealing our weapons."

Daryl walked in front of the two woman as Carol ranted.

"He did say please," Kagome reminded her.

Carol rolled her eyes at her comment, "What did you think I was going to do anyway? Kill him?"

Daryl didn't answer as her.

"I was aiming for his leg," Carol tried to explain herself. "Could that have killed him? Maybe, I don't know. But he was stealing our weapons."

"He's a damn kid," Daryl finally answered as he stopped in front of a door that was locked. He pulled out his knife in an attempt to unlock it.

"Without weapons we could die. Beth could die," Carol remind him.

Before Daryl could answer, Kagome intervened.

"We can die WITH weapons too," the priestess snapped at her. "I told you, I could sense a good soul from a bad one. He was good and desperate, that's all."

"What about us!" Carol continued to argue.

"We'll find a way," Kagome countered, "We always do."

The older woman shook her head, since the priestess was missing the point. "I don't want any of you to die. I can't stand by and watch it happen. I can't. That's why I left...I just had to be somewhere else."

Daryl stopped what he was doing and turned to Carol, "Well, you ain't somewhere else; you're right here...Tryin'." He went back trying to open the door.

Carol shook her head, "Both of you aren't who you were anymore, and neither am I," told them, while Daryl finally got the door open. "I don't know if I believe in God anymore or Heaven, but if I'm going to Hell, I'm making damn sure I'm holding it off as long as I can."

As Carol tried to grab her tings, it opened up and showed the book they saw at the shelter.

Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse.

No one said a word.

Daryl picked up and stuffed in Carol's bag before he headed out the door.

While Carol closed her bag Kagome went up next to her.

"You're not going to Hell, Carol," the priestess told her, "Not if Daryl and I can help it."

The older woman watched Kagome follow Daryl, not sure how to reply to that.

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It took some time, but the trio managed to get out the building, through the streets, and across the bridge that had the van.

They only hoped that there was some clue that told them where it came from.

The van remained balanced at the edge of the bridge, a long distance from the ground below the bridge.

Daryl opened the doors and looked inside, "Alright. Let's get this done."

He attempted to step inside but Kagome pulled him back, "Are you insane?"

"It's not stable," Carol said in agreement, "Kagome and I are lighter."

Ignoring them, Daryl jumped inside the van. It screeched from the added make making Kagome gasp nervously, "Careful."

Carol looked down the bridge at the small herd of Walkers approaching. They were getting closer. "Stay here," she told the priestess.

"You have some time," Kagome said as she looked at the approaching Walkers while Carol jumped inside the van, making it screech even more.

Between the two of them, they were going to give Kagome a heart attack from worry.

The van rattled as Daryl and Carol searched inside the vehicle for some kind of address or location about where the van came from.

"Hurry," Kagome urged as them as the Walkers got closer and the van screeched almost unsteadily. With no other choice, the priestess raised a barrier to keep the Walkers at bay. That's when they realized that Walkers were also coming from the other direction.

"They're coming," Carol warned Daryl.

"GMH," Daryl read off a gurney, "What's that a hospital?"

"I don't know," Carol said in a rut trying to get out of the van safely, "Grady Memorial, maybe?"

The hunter nodded, "Grady, the white crosses, it might be where they're holdin' up."

"A little help here," Kagome urged as she was struggling to keep the Walkers back with her barrier.

Carol jumped out of the van and began to shoot them through the barrier. Daryl came out next and tried to stab the Walkers but it was difficult with the way they were piling up on the barrier.

"Daryl!" Both women called for the hunter.

"Get in the van!" he ordered the women.

Kagome slowly walked backwards as she held up her barrier and didn't bring it down until Carol and Daryl were inside the van. Once they were safe, the priestess dropped her barrier and jumped inside the van. The hunter slammed the doors shut, making the Walkers lean on the van, causing it to screech on the unsteady balance of the bridge and midair.

They were trapped.

Between Walkers and a fifty foot drop.

"Anything we can use?" Carol asked the both of them as she looked around the limited supply van.

The priestess saw nothing, 'But there has to be a way...right?'

Luckily the hunter had an idea, "Nothin' but what we got."

It took a moment for Kagome to understand what he meant.

All they had was the van and gravity on their side.

"This is going to be fun," Kagome said sarcastically as Carol took a spot on the passenger seat. The priestess followed her and squeezed into the passenger seat with the older woman before they fasten the seatbelt across both their laps. The shoulder strap was around Carol and draped across Kagome's body. It was a tight fit but as long as they were secure was all that mattered.

Daryl took the driver's seat and secured himself quickly. As he grabbed the dash board, Kagome's hand immediately covered his. Carol's held the priestess, free hand in a death grip.

They had no idea if this was going to work, or if they would even survive the fall.

But they had no other choice.

"Hold on," he told both woman, who nodded and braced themselves.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the van lean forward into a free fall. Her body jolted upward as the vehicle went through midair before it slammed on the harsh ground. The slam of the vehicle crashing to the earth caused the seatbelt to crush against the priestess's flesh, before the force of the air bag caused her to be slammed back into the seat.

'Are we dead?' Kagome thought briefly before she felt all the aches and pains of the crash come at her at once. It took a few moments for her air flow to return to normal, since the wind was knocked out of her almost three times in a row.

The trio groaned as they mentally recovered from the crash.

"Made it," the priestess stated to Daryl and Carol, as well as herself.

Carol nodded next to her, "We're okay."

The short moment was interrupted by a Walker falling onto the windshield with a hard thud.

Several dozen more followed afterwards.

Blood began to run down the windows as the top of the van began to dent.

They waited one minute after they heard the last Walker fall before exiting the car.

All three of them were sore and wounded.

"You alright?" Daryl softly asked as he walked over to the priestess, as she was rubbing a sore shoulder.

"Mm-hmm," Kagome managed to say, trying to breathe through the pain.

Carol wasn't in the best shape either.

Daryl cursed under his breath as he helped both women walk away from the crash.

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It took a little while to find a safe place to stop for them to recover.

Daryl led them to an abandoned ally with chained fences.

Once they were safe on the other side, both women sat down.

Kagome was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened to them.

The hunter was cursing himself every passing moment that he got them in that situation. If he hadn't been so stupid, Kagome and Carol wouldn't have been hurt.

"Here," Daryl offered water to Carol, who tried to refuse but the hunter remained insistent.

That's when the priestess started laughing in relief. It hurt her side a little, but it was well worth it. "We fell off a bridge," she said as she laughed.

The hunter raised a brow, "You sure you didn't hit your head or somethin'?"

Kagome shook her head as she recovered from her laughter, "No just...happy that we all made it out alive."

Carol couldn't help but smirk too, "Yeah...We did make good time heading down."

Causing both of them to laugh.

Daryl shook his head at both the women, 'Yep, definitely a head injury.'

Kagome suddenly winced when she laughed to hard which got Daryl's attention, "How bad is it?" he asked her.

"I'll be fine," she assured him.

That didn't stop the hunter from kneeling down and lifting her shirt to see the red marks on her midsection from the seatbelt. His face winced at the sight, 'M'sorry Baby Girl,' Daryl lowered his head in regret.

The priestess lifted his chin up so he'd look at her, "Daryl, I've been bitten by demons, shot at by arrows and bullets, had my soul sucked out, and I've been stabbed, poisoned, and was burned by demonic acid. This," she gestured to the mark on her stomach, "Is just another mark on the list of what I survived."

Daryl finally managed to form a half smirk on his face, "Fuckin' warrior."

"Takes one to know one," she remained him as she rested her forehead onto his and smiled.

Carol smiled at the two, glad that they both had each other to get through this. For a brief moment, she wished that a certain demon lord was here with her, but she quickly shook away the thought.

"There's only three blocks between us and Grady Hospital," Carol informed the couple.

Daryl stood back up and nodded, "We'll find a place nearby. Scope it out, see what we can see."

Kagome nodded, "Hopefully we can find a way to get Beth out of there on our own."

"You really think we're gonna find out what we need to know just by watching?" Carol asked the couple skeptically.

"It's where to start," Daryl replied before taking a swig of water from his water bottle.

The priestess took a deep breath before standing up, "Well then. Let's get going."

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Once again, Daryl picked a building for them to try and scope out the area.

Since they were lacking in long range weapons, and were still recovering, they had to tread more quietly then before.

Although they did manage to find a machete from a crippled Walker, along with his stash of food from before his turn.

"There it is," Carol pointed out the window to the hospital.

"Now we wait," Daryl told them as he handed them separate things of food, "See what we see."

Kagome accepted the food before using her powers to sense for Beth. She was alive and her spirit was remaining strong. 'Good girl,' the priestess thought proudly of her daughter in-law.

They all looked out the window at Grady, hoping to see something that'd be useful.

"So, you said I ain't like how I was before?" Daryl asked Carol who said yes, "How was I?"

The priestess shook her head, "Do you really want her to answer that?"

The hunter sent her a playful glare making Carol smirk.

"Well?" Daryl asked again.

Carol took a moment to pick out her words carefully, "It's like you were a kid...Now you're a man."

Daryl nodded, figuring it was something like that.

"What about y'all?" he asked them.

Kagome thought it over, wondering how a few short years changed her. "Before I wanted to live to make sure that Souta was safe...Now I have more to live for," she told the both of them in honesty.

It took a few moments for Carol to answer the question.

"Me and Sophia stayed at that shelter for a day and a half...before I went running back to Ed," Carol told them. "I went home, I got beat up...life went on and I just kept praying for something to happen." She remembered the events before a memory occurred to her. "Sesshōmaru came over the next day. Asked me where I got the bruises...I told him I fell down the stairs...He didn't believe it and said 'you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.'" She recalled the moment ironically, "And I didn't...I didn't do anything. Not a damn thing...At the prison, after Sesshōmaru left, I got to be who I always thought I should be...What I thought I should've been."

The priestess reached over, grabbed her friends hand, "You got stronger...Braver. And became just as good as the rest of us, if not more. You protected your daughter and the rest of our family...Some of us wouldn't be here if it weren't for you...You should be proud of who you've become."

Carol leaned her head against the wall, "Everythin' now just...consumes you."

"Only if we let it," Daryl added, after listening to both of them.

Suddenly, the sound coming from out the door caused all of them to be on guard.

Daryl left first to see what was going on, while Kagome and Carol gathered their things and followed him.

The noise got louder as they wandered into the hall.

Where an unfamiliar Walker was pinned to the wall with a very familiar bolt.

A bolt from Daryl's crossbow.

Kagome did a quick scan with her powers and pointed to where the young man that robbed them was hiding.

However, her directions weren't needed since the sound of a rifle firing was impossible to miss.

The trio walked forward, where Noah was fighting off a Walker. He shoved the undead creature off of him and shoved it into the direction where Kagome was coming from. The priestess fell over with the Walker on top of her.

She cried out in pain as the Walker pressed on her injures as he attempted to bit at her flesh.

Daryl quickly used his machete to kill the Walker and pushed it off of her.

"I've got her," Carol assured Daryl, as she tried to lift Kagome up, "Go."

The hunter nodded as he chased after Noah.

Kagome winced as she tried to stand up with Carol's help.

"You still think there's good in him?" the older woman asked her.

"Yes," the priestess asked, "His soul is pure."

Carol nodded in understanding as they went to catch up with Daryl.

They caught up in time with him, just as the hunter rammed Noah into a bookcase that was keeping a door closed. The furniture fell on Noah, trapping the lower part of his body. A lone Walker was trying to squeeze through the door to attack its new prey that was just out of reach.

A trapped Noah under a bookshelf.

"Plea-Please," Noah begged as he tried to get the bookshelf off of him but the furniture was too heavy, "I had to protect myself."

"Why are you follon' us?" Daryl yelled at him.

"I didn't, I swear!" Noah replied, "I thought you followed me!"

"Bullshit," the hunter snapped in disbelief.

But the situation sounded all too coincidental to Kagome, "Did you come from Grady Memorial?"

Noah quickly nodded as he looked at the Walker and his only hope for living, "Yes."

Kagome looked at her hunter with pleading eyes, "Tenshi."

The hunter shook his head, knowing that they she wanted them to help Noah, "You almost died because of him!" Daryl snapped at her.

"But I didn't! I'm still here!" she yelled just as loud, "We need his help if we're going to get Beth back!"

The name caught Noah's attention, "Beth? You talking about Beth Higurashi?"

This caught the trio's attention and caused any doubts about Noah's intentions to vanish.

After the trio helped Noah from under the bookshelf, killed the Walker, retrieving their weapons, and Daryl helped himself to a box of cigarettes he found in the room much to Kagome's dismay, they finally began really talking.

"We can't stay here," Noah told them once he stood up and looked out the window, "They probably heard the shot. If they find me."

"Stop," Daryl halted Noah, making him turn around, "How do you know Beth?"

"She helped me get out of Grady," Noah explained, "But she's still in there."

"We know," Kagome replied, "And we need your help so we can get her out of there."

Carol looked out the window and saw a white van approaching their building. "They're coming," she informed her group.

"We got to go now," Daryl said as he urged everyone out.

Noah was limping due to his old injury, but he managed to keep up with the trio as they ran. "The building next door has a basement," he informed them, "It's clear. We'll be safe."

Unfortunately, the running was too much for Noah's leg and he fell.

"I've got him," Daryl told the women as he tried to help the young man up, "Go on."

Carol and Kagome rushed to the front to check if it was clear of people and Walkers.

"I'll check first," Kagome informed the older woman before stepping outside.

"Wait," Carol tried to get her to come back right.

Suddenly, before anyone could blink.

Kagome's body was flying into the air as she was hit by a speeding car.

She hit the hood of the car before she rolled onto the street.

Carol quickly retreated back with a surprised and horrified gasp.

The hunter's eyes widened with worry as Noah held on to him for support.

"No, no, no!" Daryl tried to fight his way over to the street to try and get to Kagome before the people of Grady could capture her.

Noah's grip tightened hunter's arm and held him back, "Wait, Wait!"

"Let go of me," the hunter snapped, trying to pry himself away.

Carol tried to shush Daryl, since she didn't want their cover to be blown, "You need to be quiet."

"They can help her," Noah assured the hunter. Grady may have been a hell in disguise, but it was still a hospital. "They're the only ones who can. They have medicine, machines and a doctor. You go out there and kill them, she can't get their help. Is that what you want?"

"Daryl he's right," Carol tried to convince the hunter as they helplessly watched Kagome being carried away by two men on a stretcher.

"I ain't leavin' her," Daryl growled at the woman.

"You have to," Carol told him sternly, "It's the best way to get her and Beth back."

It took a few moments for the words the sink in and for Daryl to finally calm down.

"We can get them both back," Noah said encouragingly.

"What's it gonna take?" Daryl asked Noah, since he knew what they were facing.

Noah sighed at the question, "A lot...They've got guns and people."

"So do we," Daryl growled as he shoved Noah out of the way and headed to the direction of the street. The hunter wasn't going to waste any time.

He needed to get his Baby Girl back.

Together, the new trio found a deliver van that Daryl hotwired and drove out of the city.

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 _Present Time_

"And that's what happened," Carol told the group as they stood in the church.

Daryl stood impatiently by the door, with Shippo and Souta for company.

The fox demon wasn't thrilled that his mate and mother were someplace he currently couldn't reach.

Souta was worried for his sister. 'She's been looking out for me and everyone else for so long, that she forgets to look after herself,' he thought in frustration.

The only relief from the situation is that Kagome and Beth weren't alone, they had each other.

Michonne looked to Rick after hearing about Atlanta from Carol and Daryl, "What's the plan?"

The leader looked to the group as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "We get them back."

Daryl nodded, glad that they were finally going back to Grady, 'I'm comin for you Kagome.'

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 _Kagome groaned as she lifted herself up from the ground._

 _Her entire body felt strange._

 _Like the tingly feeling your foot gets when it 'falls asleep'_

" _What happened?" she muttered as she sat up._

 _It took her a moment to realize that she was laying on cool grass underneath a tree._

 _A tree that she easily recognized._

 _The Goshinboku._

" _Wh-what?" she said in confusion wondering how she got here as she stood on her feet._

 _She looked down and noticed that she was also wearing her middle school uniform._

" _How did...What am I doing here?" she asked out loud feeling very muddled._

" _Stupid, it's about time you woke up," a voice from Kagome's past made her turn around._

 _No...It couldn't be._

 _Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her._

 _But the red outfit, silver hair, and of course his dog ears were impossible to miss._

" _Inu...Inuyasha?" she questioned._

 _The half demon smirked, "Hey Kagome."_

 _Tears immediately fell down the priestess face as she gazed at him. "Inuyasha," she cried out as she ran forward and embraced her best friend and first love._

" _Come on Kagome, stop the tears," he told her, but immediately hugged her back._

 _The priestess pulled back and rubbed her eyes to wipe the tears away. She couldn't help but smile at his comment, "You haven't changed a bit."_

" _Kind of happens when you're dead," Inuyasha pointed out to her._

 _Kagome's smile faded as she looked at him with worried eyes, "You-you mean...Am I."_

" _Of course not," the half demon assured her before she could panic, "Not unless you want to be."_

" _Which would be a big disappointment if you asked me," a female voice interrupted them._

 _Kagome turned and saw Sango wearing her citizen clothes underneath the tree and smiled at her friend who she grew to love as a sister both in life and death. "Oh Sango," she ran over to her friend as more tears fell down her face. The guilt over her friend's death started to overwhelm her. "Sango I'm so sorry. It was all my fault that you were killed."_

" _No, no, no," Sango told her, "What happened wasn't your fault." She put both hands on Kagome's shoulders. "Both of our deaths were Naraku's doing. It always has been."_

" _Did you really feel guilty about that after all these years?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as he stood next to Sango with his arms folded. "That doesn't sound like the Kagome I know."_

 _The priestess shook her head, "I just felt so helpless after that...And so many things have happened since then."_

" _Like that new man in your life," a male voice interrupted as he appeared to stand next to Sango's other side. "You're lucky you're able to be with the one you love in life."_

 _Kagome smiled at her favorite monk, "Miroku," she said before stepping back to smack the man upside the head, making him yelp. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were related in the Feudal Era, you pervert?"_

 _Sango chuckled lightly, "I told you she'd do that," she informed the monk_

 _Miroku rubbed his now sore head as he looked to his beloved demon slayer, "Well you could have stopped her," he pointed out._

 _Inuyasha snorted at the monk in amusement, "And miss the chance to see you get hit. Not a chance."_

 _Even as they bantered Kagome smiled at her Feudal Era family. Seeing all three of them together made her heart burst with happiness...and sadness. "I-I miss all of you so much," she told them with sorrow overflowing in her voice._

" _We know you do," Sango smiled back at the priestess, "We've been watching you for a long time."_

" _Makes me wish I was still alive to fight those ugly undead bastards," Inuyasha stated with a hint of jealousy._

" _Oh Inuyasha," the priestess shook her head at the half demon's typical behavior._

" _He's right though," Miroku spoke up, "We physically can't be at your side."_

 _Suddenly two pairs of arms wrapped around Kagome, "But we're with you in spirit," her mother whispered in her ear._

" _And we always will be," the gentle voice of her father spoke in her other ear._

 _Kagome turned around to see both her parents behind her. It had been forever since she saw the both of them together. It was amazing that she had any tears left to shed at the sight, "Mom...Dad," she whimpered as she embraced them._

" _We're so proud of you sweetheart," her father told his daughter as he ruffled the top of her head. He looked just the same as she last saw him. With scruffy black hair, just like Souta's, but he had her nose and blue eyes._

" _ **Kagome,"**_ _a muffled voice came out of nowhere._

 _The priestess pulled back from her parents and as she looked around for the source of the voice. It was faint but she was able to identify it, "Beth...She's here."_

 _That's when everything started to play back into her mind._

 _Atlanta, the car hitting her, the brief moment of someone carrying her away._

 _If she could hear Beth now, that means that she must be in Grady Memorial Hospital._

" _Yeah," Inuyasha spoke up and grabbed her shoulder. "Looks like it's almost time for you to wake up."_

" _But," Kagome looked at all her past loved ones, "Can't I stay a little longer?"_

" _I'm sorry, sweetheart," her mother said regretfully, "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that."_

" _We all wanted to come and see you," Sango told her friend with sad smile, "Not all of us got a chance to say a proper good bye."_

" _And to tell you how proud we are of the person you've become," Miroku finished._

 _Kagome looked at everyone with tears in her eyes. She could hear Beth's voice becoming clearer, along with another woman's voice that she didn't recognize. The Sacred Tree began to fade away into nothing._

" _I guess me and Beth are going to have a hell of a time getting out of here," Kagome figured out loud._

" _Your new family will come for you," her mother assured her. "All you have to do now is get better. That was one nasty accident you were in...Well, two technically."_

" _Despite that first car accident, I have to say I like Daryl," her father admitted to her, "He's a good man."_

 _Kagome couldn't help but glance over at Inuyasha regretfully, "I'm-I'm so sorry that I..."_

" _Relax Kagome, I'm really happy for you," the half demon assured her. "But," he leaned over to kiss her forehead and felt his clawed hand briefly brush against her stomach, "This is at least one thing I can do for you."_

 _The priestess looked up and shook her head in confusion, "I don't understand."_

 _Miroku gave her a knowing smile, "You will someday...Very soon."_

 _Sango stepped forward and squeezed Kagome's hand, "You can wake up now, Kagome."_

 _Just as fast as they came, a bright light surrounded them and Kagome could only watched as her loved ones faded away from her sight._

' _I love you all,' the priestess tried to say as she wiped a tear from her face._

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"...I'm gonna get out. Just like Noah," Beth told Dawn as she sat in the hospital room.

Kagome was recovering on the hospital bed with an IV in her arm. Beth had to steal it in order to save her life. And Dawn, of all people, gave the blonde the means to do it.

It didn't take long for Beth to figure out Dawn's true intentions of her sudden 'kindness.'

She wanted a reason to get rid of some troublesome officers of hers. Once he discovered what Beth had done, he'd confronted her and Dawn used the opportunity to kill him, with Beth's help.

"He'll be back," Dawn said referring to Noah without any doubt. She was sitting on Kagome's hospital bed, which irritated Beth.

"He's going home," the blonde argued with her.

Dawn shook her head, "They always come back...They don't ever get far because they can't. But really, they don't want to."

The voices became clearer as Kagome's consciousness awoke. And in those few moments, the priestess already hated the woman sitting by her feet.

"He's going home," Beth growled in anger again. An emotion that became easier to obtain after she mated with Shippo.

She knew he was close by.

She could feel him.

All Beth had to do was wait.

"I used to be like you when I was younger," Dawn replied, "Nobody could tell me anything...I'm not stupid. You know her," she gestured to Kagome on the bed. "And somehow you both ended up here. Maybe that means something...Beth, you can be a part of this thing. Both of you. This," she gestured to Grady, "Is important. Maybe the most important thing you do in your life. And what you did back there...Gorman and O'Donnal hurt people. The world didn't lose anything when they died. And you're wrong about what happened...I didn't use you...And I will remember."

In another life, maybe Beth would have believed her words. But she'd come too far, and had learned so much from her mate and the woman laying injured on the hospital bed to fall for those fake honey words.

Kagome groaned as she turned her head and finally woke up.

Beth got up and was immediately at her side, while Dawn stood up in astonishment. The woman didn't actually believe that the priestess would wake up on her own.

"Kagome," Beth encouraged her mother in-law. The blonde had to wipe a few tears that somehow escaped down the priestess face. 'She must be in a lot of pain," she thought regretfully.

The priestess looked up at Beth as she pulled her hand away to touch the blonde woman's face and smiled, "Found you."

 **Oh man, we all know what's going to happen next...Or do we. *insert pinky to corner of mouth in a Dr. Evil fashion here* So tell me what you think. Next time: The moment I've been constantly questioned about over the past few chapters...Beth's fate.**

 **I'm sure we can all be mature about the month long wait, right? *insert readers readying their pitch forks and lighting their torches* Yikes! *insert me running to hide from impatient mob***

 **Till Then My Readers**


	31. Suspense

**Arrows and Scars**

 ***insert me halting the angry mob* Wait!...April Fools! *insert mob scratching their heads* Did you really think I'd leave you guys hanging for a whole month for this particular chapter? Silly readers. So I give a happy Easter/April Fool holiday combo gift to you. Now I trust none of you to try and skim ahead, because where would be the fun in that. I'm talking to you: jumpingmanatee, Guest, 12345678910 (Guest), Tsukikageshi, The Blue Insanity 8500,** **darkangel0212,** **Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Frances12, and MOONWOLF1234.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing so let's just all do what we came here to do.

Chapter Thirty One: Suspense

Daryl tried to work as fast as he could, knowing that every moment counted. Before he and his family could leave for Atlanta to rescue Kagome and Beth, the group had to protect the church for the people who were staying behind.

Michonne, Gabriel, Carl, Souta, Sophia, and Judith. Sesshōmaru would also remain behind to clear out any large number of Walkers that came their way.

It annoyed the hunter that this needed to be done first, but he knew his priestess would have wanted it this way.

All life was precious to her.

They used every bit of material that the church had to offer in order to fortify the property.

Including the pews and even the piano organ.

They were used to board the windows, barricade the door, and place spikes around the entrance to buy some time if too many Walkers arrived. Even with Sesshōmaru, all it took was one Walker to slip by and ruin everything.

Gabriel looked at the whole thing in both disproval and fear.

Meanwhile, Sasha was going through her own emotions about what happened with Bob. Daryl and Carol felt very guilty for not being here to help with Gareth's people. Tyreese told them it was actually better that they weren't, since so much blood had been spilled that night.

Blood that Gabriel is still desperately trying to clean up from the church floor.

Rick stood outside the church and watched Carl, Souta, and Sophia board up the windows. "They want to go to Atlanta...I can't have that."

Michonne nodded in understanding, "Then you stay. I'll go."

"I can't...I love Kagome as if she were my own. I have to go," Rick explained his reason.

Michonne couldn't help but smile at the confession, "I know how you feel. She's easy to love."

Kilala meowed from her spot on her mistress shoulder in agreement.

Once she did, Michonne scratched her companions head and gestured for her to jump on Rick's shoulder. "At least take Kilala with you," she said as she jumped over to Rick, "Just in case."

Rick nodded as Kilala rubbed the side of her body against him. The cat demon purred at him as she wondered when her mistress would finally admit her feelings to the man.

Humans could be so stubborn at times.

A half hour later, the group said goodbye to ones who were staying.

Souta looked to the hunter and fox demon before they departed, "Bring them back."

"We will," Daryl promised young teen.

"I'm not coming back without both of them," Shippo promised before they went to the vehicle that Daryl found in Atlanta.

Sophia walked up to Souta after she said good bye to her mom and squeezed his hand in support. He didn't hesitate to squeeze her hand back.

"Onna," Sesshōmaru stopped Carol from entering the van for a moment

The woman looked at him, "Yes?"

The demon lord kept his face emotionless but a trained eye could see the tiny hint of worry in his eyes. "Watch yourself," he told.

Carol considered not even replying but decided to nod instead before hopping into the van.

Once the van began to drive off the demon lord looked at Michonne, "Secure the door."

Michonne nodded as she, and the young teens closed the church doors and started boarding it up on the inside.

Satisfied, Sesshōmaru drew his Tensuiga and went on the hunt for any stray Walkers. He needed to occupy his mind away from Carol being in enemy territory without his protection.

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It didn't take long to find a secure spot in Atlanta for the rescue team, thanks to Daryl, Carol, and Noah's guidance.

Shippo and Kilala used their demonic powers to keep any stray Walkers from discovering their group while the others tried to come up with a rescue plan.

"At sundown, we fire a shot into the air," Rick explained from his spot on the ground as he drew a map of the area in the dirt. "Get two of the officers out on patrol. Then once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks on one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out."

Tyreese interrupted, "How?"

"He slits his throat," Rick answered simply. "This is all about us doing this quiet, keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us. From there, we fan out. Knives and silenced weapons. And we'll need to be fast," he continued by marking his dirt map. "Tyreese, Sasha, take them. Daryl and Carol, you both take care of whoever is in the kitchen...I got Dawn. If they're smart, the rest of them will give up. Then it'll be six on three. Seven on three once we get a weapon to Beth, since Lord knows what condition Kagome will be in when we find her."

As much as Tyreese wanted to save Kagome and Beth, he didn't approve of unnecessary killing.

"Thirteen on three," Noah suggested, "The wards will help."

"That's best case," Tyreese nodded in understanding, "What's the worst case? All it takes is one of those cops going down the hall at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck...We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around."

"If that's what it takes," Sasha replied coldly, while Carol nodded with her in agreement.

"Sometimes we have to," Carol reminded him.

Daryl looked down at the ground, knowing that Kagome and even Beth wouldn't like it if things did happen this way. Maybe it would be better to come up with another plan.

Luckily, Tyreese voiced out another option. "We don't. If we get a couple of her cops alive out here, we do an even trade," he suggested to the group, "Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home."

Rick stood up as he considered the plan, "Yeah, I get it. And it might work...But this WILL work," he replied referring to the first plan.

"Nah," the hunter interrupted, "That'll work, too...It's how they'd want it to work." Daryl said referring to Kagome and Beth. He looked over to Noah to confirm their plan, "You say this Dawn, she's just tryin' to keep it together, right?"

Noah shrugged in uncertainty, "Trying and doing are two different things."

The hunter tried to remain confident, "Take two of her cops away, what choices does she have? Everybody goes home. Like he says," pointing over to Tyreese who nodded in appreciation.

All eyes were on Rick to make the final decision.

It took about a full minute for him to reply, "Alright."

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Meanwhile, back at the church, Gabriel scrubbed the church floor harshly, trying to get that red stain off the wooden floor from that horrible night. He was still struggling to get those dead bodies out of his mind.

These people showed no mercy.

No sympathy.

To Father Gabriel, they were murderers

As the priest continued to scrubbed the floor Sophia walked over and sat by one of the remaining pews up front to look down at Gabriel as he worked. "That cleaner isn't going to work." The priest didn't stop scrubbing, "Unless you mix it with ammonia. That's what my mother used to get the blood off our floor after my father hit her."

The priest halted in his movements before he looked up at the young teen in front of him.

"I'm sorry that this happened here," Sophia apologized for the group's actions from that night. "And as much as you don't want to hear it, there are lines that need to be crossed...But that doesn't mean we feel good about it."

As she talked, Carl walked over with the weapons that they had and offered them to the priest, "Pick one." Gabriel looked at the teenager in shock, "You need to learn how to defend yourself."

"We can teach you what we know, if you'd like," Souta offered as he walked over to them.

Gabriel shook his head, "Defend myself?" he repeated the words as his mind drifted to that night. "They said they'd go," he pointed out to these young teens. Their age was impressionable, the priest knew this, but he had hoped that they'd see reason.

Sophia shook her head, "My father would say he'd stop hitting her...But he didn't. Even when all this started...You can't force or will someone to change just because it's what you want."

"They were liars and murderers," Carl replied in agreement.

"Just like us," Gabriel stated in disgust.

"Is it murder when you defend yourself and your family from someone who intends to do you harm?" Souta asked the priest.

"They wanted us dead," Carl continued, "You're really lucky your church has lasted this long...You can't stay in one place anymore."

Sophia nodded, "If you stay still for too long, you might let your guard down too much."

"And something bad will hit you when you least expect it and take away all that you love," Souta finished as he sat next to Sophia.

"Once you're out there, you can run into trouble you can't hide from," Carl kneeled down to the priest. "You need to know how to fight."

Gabriel looked at all three teens before reluctantly picking up a machete.

"Good choice," Carl commented, "But you're not holding it right. You've got to be able to drive it down, 'cause sometimes their skulls aren't as soft and you need to be able."

Gabriel took the weapon, and held out his other hand to stop Carl from talking, "I'm sorry, but I need to lie down," he said before he stormed into his office.

Sophia stood up and wrapped her arms around herself, "Maybe we pushed too far."

"We had to," Souta said as he reached for her shoulder, "The world can't afford to lose a good person like him."

Michonne watched the whole exchange from across the church as she played with Judith in her basket.

The sword wielder's emotions were mixed by the words and actions of these young teenagers.

This world truly wasn't fair to any of them.

'Do they really think there's nowhere worth staying...Worth living?' Michonne wondered with worry.

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The new plan was close to what Rick had in mind the first time.

He had Noah fire a gun in the air to gather two of the police men's attention. As expected, the police officers chased after Noah and tried to capture him so they could bring him back to Grady Memorial.

That's when the group ambushed the police officer man and woman.

Knowing they were outgunned, the police officers gave up.

Daryl and Sasha tied up the officer's hands as soon as they were captured.

"That's Lamson," Noah told the others, after Tyreese helped untie him from the zip ties. "He'll be down for this."

Before Rick could comment, another police car drove into the ally and began shooting at the group.

In all the chaos the group had to fall back, which allowed the two tied up officers to climb into the back of the new police car and while the driver began to drive away from the group.

Sasha managed to use her rifle to shoot at the tires making the police car crash around the corner, out of sight from anyone in the group.

That brief moment of blindness was enough for the police officers to run and hide.

When the group ran into the ally, all the doors to the police were wide open. All any of them could see were crippled Walkers scattered around the street with burnt and melted flesh from the bombing that occurred in Atlanta, what felt like a life time ago.

Rick gestured for the group to stop where they were, before he looked to Kilala who was by his feet and gestured for her to hunt the police officers down. The cat demon dashed forward and hissed at the direction where the two tied officers ran away.

Rick motioned for the group to follow him once the cat demon was out of sight.

Daryl stayed back to check the area for the remaining officer who rescued his team.

Before the hunter could clear a hidden area, the officer snuck up on Daryl and tackled him to the ground. Recovering quickly, the hunter pushed the bulky officer away with his feet and got back up to fight for his life.

Both men took swings at one another with their fists until the officer got the upper hand and forced Daryl on the ground next to some burnt up Walkers. The officer forced Daryl's neck into a chock hold and pushed the hunter's face closer to the snapping jaws a Walker.

Daryl tried to reach for anything he could use to get the upper hand again, when suddenly the weight of the officer was pulled off of him.

Shippo yanked the officer off the hunter effortlessly, before he could do anything to harm his family member. The fox demon had retreated back from the group when he noticed Daryl wasn't with him.

One punch in the face from the demon was all the officer could take before he fell unconscious on the ground.

Shippo reached his hand over and helped Daryl from the ground, "You good?"

"Yeah," the hunter nodded as he rubbed his neck from the harsh handling it had moments ago, "Thanks, Ponytail."

"What's family for, right," the fox demon asked rhetorically as he lifted the heavy officer over one arm and gestured for him to follow back to the hide out.

At that time, Rick and the rest of his people had their guns pointed at the two offices, who were still tied up. However, the guns weren't necessary since Kilala was continuously growling behind their prisoners in her full demon form.

The police officers didn't know what kind of animal these people had, but it was angry and had sharp teeth, so they knew better then to question it.

"Three is better than two," the hunter voiced out loud, figuring that the plan will work better this way.

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Inside of Grady Memorial Hospital, Kagome was resting in her hospital bed when Beth returned to her room. It looked like she'd been moping the floors in the hall and used that excuse to sneak in to the room.

"Hey," the priestess greeted the young blonde with a smile, grateful that she was here. Being confined to a bed got really boring after a while. Kagome used that time to occasionally check outside the hospital with her powers to feel for Daryl and their family. Noah would have been able to give them the layout of how Grady was run and how to negotiate with the people at this hospital, since he knew how they thought. 'All we have to do is wait,' Kagome kept telling herself.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Beth asked as she kneeled down next to her mother-in law.

"Better," the priestess told her, "Thanks to you."

Beth smiled, "That's good. Because I think the others are in Atlanta. Dawn's been getting some reports about shots being fired. She hasn't heard back from them in a while."

Kagome nodded in understanding, "That's definitely them. The real problem is that we don't know what they have planned in order to save us."

"Then what should we do?" Beth asked, wanting to help in some way.

"I can't attack like this," the priestess gestured to weakened state, "But I can defend us with a barrier if I have to...Try to find a weapon for you just in case there's trouble." The blonde nodded in understanding before she tried to leave and find one. "And Beth," she made sure the girl was looking at her by grabbing her, "Don't attack unless you absolutely have to, okay?"

Beth didn't want to make a promise she couldn't keep, but gave a reluctant nod anyway.

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The big officer, Lacari, didn't wake up until they arrived back at the hideout.

The female officer, Shepherd, glared at the group as they surrounded her, "Your plan is going to get me and my friends killed."

"We're gonna make it work," Sasha told the officer coldly.

"It would work if you had different cops to trade," Shepherd admitted to her, "Dawn's running Grady into the ground. A bunch of us want her out and she knows it. Pretty sure she knows we want Lamson to replace her, too."

Lacari glared at the female officer next to him, "Dawn doesn't know that."

"She might," Shepherd retorted to her co-worker before looking back at her captures, "And she's smart. So there's a good chance you can't make this deal work and that'll leave us all dead."

"You three maybe," Carol glared at the officer, "Not us."

The female officer looked at the rest of the group with pleading eyes, "If you let us go, we'll take care of Dawn ourselves and then we'll let your friends go and this is over."

"They're not going to do that," Lamson finally spoke up.

Shepherd looked at her friend in disbelief, "Do you want to die?

"No. I just need you to shut up right now," Lamson replied before looking at the group, "You can make this work. But you've got to be able to talk to her."

"Noah told us all about her," Sasha told the police officers, thinking they already had what they need to know.

"I've known her for eight years, ma'am," Lamson informed Sasha, "I know this woman. And my only interest is peaceful resolution, not dying, and sleeping in my bed tonight. So please, let me help you."

Daryl started to wish that Kagome was there with to tell if this man was telling the truth or not. However, the group did have two demons that could smell a lie.

Shippo shook his head at the exchange, "I don't trust this guy. We should stick to the plan," he told Rick and the others.

Rick had to think about every possible scenario on how this whole thing could go.

He wanted to save Kagome and Beth, but he also knew that neither of those women would want to be rescued if the loss of any life could be prevented.

Rick had some thinking to do.

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Gabriel used the machete to pull up the floor boards in his office. The church was set on support beams above ground allowing the crawl space.

The priest knew that he had to get out of here, away from these people's influences. They've already corrupted the minds of three innocent children, who knows what they'd do to him.

Gabriel went through the floor and scurried down the crawl space until he made out of the church. He was halted when he found a nail that stuck through the bottom of his shoe.

As quiet as the priest was, the smell of blood caught the demon lord's attention.

"What are you doing, priest?" Sesshōmaru asked the priest who was obviously frightened.

Gabriel whimpered and kneeled in front of the demon, begging for mercy since he feared Sesshōmaru would kill him, "Please, just let me go. I can't stay...Not after last night...Please."

The demon lord looked at the kneeling human.

His demeanor was truly pathetic.

If Sesshōmaru had it his way he'd have disposed of the priest long before now. However, Gabriel was a candidate as a future pack member. That alone, was why the human had not died by his hand.

"If you want answers, then go to the school where Gareth's people had camped," Sesshōmaru told the priest as he walked away.

Gabriel watched as the demon lord as he walked away from him with no intent of dragging him back to the church.

"Good and evil have plagued the world since the beginning of time," Sesshōmaru spoke as he walked, "It's up to you to decide what the true evil is."

The priest quickly stood and tried walk away as fast as he could away from the demon.

But he knew Sesshōmaru was right...Gabriel needed to see if it was true.

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Almost an hour later, a certain fox demon was not happy with what had transpired, "What did I tell you," Shippo growled at the others.

Sasha was on the ground next to a beam as Carol helped her with a wound given to her by Lamson. The manipulating police officer played with her emotions and let her guard down enough for him to knock her out and escape. 'I'm so damn stupid,' Sasha cursed herself.

At that moment, Rick returned to the hide out without Lamson.

"Well?" Daryl asked the leader.

"He's taken care of," Rick assured the group.

But that left them one little problem.

Shepherd and Licari

They knew the truth of what happened to Lamson, and if they told Dawn what happened to him, the exchange wouldn't work. Not if Dawn knew that they'd killed one of her people.

But the officers surprised them.

"He was a good man...He was attacked by Rotters," Shepherd lied easily, "Saw it go down."

Carol studied the female officer as she spoke, impressed by her skill. It was definitely a good survival strategy. She knew that better than almost anyone.

Shippo shook his head, "No loyalty amongst thieves and liars."

"We're hanging by a thread here," Shepherd told Rick before looking at the others, "He was attacked by Rotters. That's the story."

"Did you say the trade was a bad idea," the hunter pointed out to the female officer, "What changed?"

"Lamson was our shot," Shepherd explained, "So it's this or you go in guns blazing, right? You don't want that."

Daryl glared at the woman, "If this is some bullshit you're spinnin' and things go south."

"I know," Shepherd said in clear understanding, "I know the good ones from the bad...Let us help you."

Rick glanced over at Noah and Shippo. Noah knew the police officers better than anyone and the fox demon could smell the lie instantly. When both of them nodded to show that the female officer was telling the truth, he was relived.

But that still left Licari.

"What about you?" Rick asked the big officer, "You wanna live? How much?"

Licari snorted, "Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Thinks it'll tip things against her...Hell, it will. She'll see this trade as a rip-off if she thinks you took out one of our guys...So it's a good thing Lamson got aced by Rotters."

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Gabriel was running as fast as he could back to the church.

He can't believe he'd gotten himself into this mess.

Taking the demon lord's advice and went to the school. After searching the grounds, he discovered the answer to what he was searching for.

He found the truth.

Gareth and his people were evil.

They left Bob's on a grill fire. Flies were already attracted to the rotted cooked flesh that'd been left over by those cannibals.

After the turmoil of his thought absorbed the true the situation, the Walkers that were trapped in the school had finally escaped and were now chasing him.

Gabriel made it back to the church, limping thanks to the wound on his foot.

"Help!" he cried out in fear as the Walkers followed him back to his church.

The demon lord heard the commotion and smelled the number of corpses heading towards him and the church. And yet Sesshōmaru walked extremely calm toward the priest, as if he was in no particular hurry. "Have you come to a decision, priest?" he asked Gabriel emotionlessly.

The priest looked to the demon in brief disbelief but did nod in a panic, "Yes. You. You-your group. I choose the group."

The demon lord unsheathed his Tensigua and went to the herd of Walkers, "Go back inside."

"You can't take them all," the priest told him in horror.

Sesshōmaru continue to walk forward as if he didn't hear the man.

Gabriel knew that he was going to need help and that the others need to get out of here. He limped passed the spiked entry way in a hurry, "Carl! Michonne!" he called inside banging on the church door. "Sophia! Souta! Let me in!"

Michonne, Carl, and Souta had to use their weapons to try and pry the boarded door open. Sophia stood back with Judith in her arms as they teared down their defense. Gabriel sounded panicked and they didn't know why, so they needed to be prepared.

As the door opened, Michonne looked at the priest in confusion, "How did you get outside?"

"We need to get out of," Gabriel tried to explain in a panic as he turned to show them the herd coming their way.

But when the priest looked at the outside of the church, the herd was already dead.

Sesshōmaru sheathed the Tensigua and looked over to Michonne, "That's the last of the corpses."

Michonne nodded as she closed the door of the church.

"But, bu-but there were so many," Gabriel tried to speak, unable to comprehend what just happened.

Souta nodded in understanding and patted the priest in the back, "We know there were."

"Ho-how?" the priest managed to ask, in pure astonishment.

Sophia sat down on the pew and gestured for Gabriel to do the same, "It's time that you've been told a few more things about our family."

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Beth spent time in Kagome's room and explained what had happened she's been at Grady.

Especially when it involved Dawn.

The woman was a damn good manipulator.

Her passive aggressive behavior made it look like bad things that happened at this hospital are your fault.

The priestess was glad that Beth didn't fall for Dawn's tricks.

This whole experience with Grady made Beth a stronger person.

Shippo would hold nothing but pride for his mate after this.

"I'm proud of you Beth," Kagome told her, after listening to Beth's story.

Beth bowed her head down, "Do you...Do you think my dad would have been?"

Kagome reached over for the blonde's hand and squeezed it, "I know he is."

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Abraham drove the firetruck that they'd found in town a couple dozen miles away from the church.

Everything went to hell in hand basket after the bus had been wrecked. He learned from Tara that it was Eugene who had sabotaged the vehicle back at the church.

Why did he do it?

Because he had lied.

About Washington.

About the cure.

About everything.

Abraham would have killed Eugene if the others didn't stop him, but knocking him out and almost slipping into a coma was damn close enough.

After Eugene woke up, and the others were given time to gather some supplies, they decided to head back to the church, hoping that the others hadn't left yet.

It didn't surprise Maggie and Glenn to see Sesshōmaru outside or that there piles of Walkers just outside the church.

It did surprise Abraham, Rosita and Tara though. Eugene was unable to comment since he was still recovering from the incident with Abraham in the back of the fire truck.

"He did that by himself?" Rosita asked the Korean.

"Yep," Glenn told them while popping the p, "And that's why we try to stay on his good side."

"Which means you better be super nice to Sophia and Carol," Maggie said in amusement.

When Abraham pulled over the fire truck he stepped out and whistled at the dead Walkers.

"So the human finally spoke the truth," the demon lord figured.

Tara glared at the demon lord in disbelief, "You knew? And you didn't tell us!"

"It was not my responsibility," Sesshōmaru growled at her, daring her to raise her voice to him again.

Remembering Maggie and Glenn's words, Abraham, Rosita, and Tara kept their mouths shut about the entire situation.

It's not as if there was anything they could do about it now, anyway.

"Where is everyone?" Maggie asked the demon lord.

Michonne came out with Judith in her arms, along with the teens and priest. "They went to Grady Hospital in Atlanta" she informed the returning group. "That's where Daryl, Carol, and Kagome found out where Beth was being kept. Those people ended up taking Kagome too, but the others went to save them."

Maggie let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

Beth really was alive.

"Washington was a lie," Glenn told her and the others, "Eugene made it all up."

The teens looked at one another, a part of them was disappointed, but they figured the whole thing was too good to be true form the start.

"What do we do now?" Tara asked them.

"I say we go get our friends back, "Abraham suggested, as he opened the fire truck to let the others inside.

Glenn let out an exaggerated sigh, not having a good experience at the city since the dead started rising, "Here we go again."

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Daryl and Sasha aimed their rifles at the top of their hide out. Waiting for the approaching cop car. Rick was waiting for it at the top of a parking garage.

Once it was in place, the hunter snapped his fingers in signal that it was almost time.

Carol and Tyreese kept their weapons aimed at Shepherd and Licari.

Shippo and Kilala were on the same place as Rick, hidden just in case things went wrong and they needed to get out fast.

"They're headed towards the vantage point," Tyreese radioed to Rick.

The cop car approached Rick and stopped a good distance away, just in case they planned an ambush.

Rick walked up to the vehicle with his arms raised to show that he wasn't a threat. But that didn't stop the new officers from pointing their weapons at him. "Officer Franco. Officer McGinley," Rick identified, making both officers stiffen nervously. "I'm Rick Grimes. I was a deputy in the King County Sheriff's Department. I'm here to make a proposal."

"Lay your weapon on the ground," Franco ordered, which Rick obliged and turned around to show that he no other hidden weapons on him.

Little did the police officers know, both Daryl and Sasha had their riffles aimed right at the back of their heads.

"What's your proposal?" McGinley asked Rick after he lowered his arms.

"You have two of my people, I have two of yours," Rick stated to the officers, "We want to make an exchange. Then we'll be on our way. No one gets hurt."

Franco and McGinley glanced over at one another, not sure if they believed him. "Who?" McGinley asked, wanting to be sure.

"Shepherd and Licari, for Beth and Kagome," Rick told them the terms. "She was picked up by your people yesterday after they hit her with a car."

"Noah," McGinley realized where Rick was getting this information, "He's with you. That's how you know?" Rick nodded yes. "What about Officer Lamson?"

"He was attacked by the dead before we got to him," Rick lied to the officer.

As the men talked, a stray Walker managed to make their way up the garage ramp.

"Where are your people?" Franco asked Rick.

Suddenly, the Walker was shot in the brain and hit the cement with a thud, curtesy of Sasha's bullet.

Franco and McGinley remained on guard as they tried to see where the shot had come from.

Rick smirked, "They're close," he replied, "Go radio your lieutenant. I'll wait."

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After being informed of the situation, Dawn reluctantly agreed to the switch and waited in the hall with Beth, who was pushing Kagome in a wheelchair down one of the hospital hallways, Along with the doctor and three of Dawn's police officers, who were all armed and ready for Rick's group.

While Beth had pushed the priestess down the hall, the blonde was able to show the hidden pair of scissors she had put in the cast on her wrist. Kagome hid a smile of relief when she saw it and was glad Beth wouldn't be defenseless if things didn't go well after this.

Once they reached the agreed meeting spot near the back entrance to Grady, the police officers readied their weapons, and kept Beth and Kagome behind them for their own safety. When Dawn saw that Rick and his people arrive with her officers behind one of the wooden doors that sectioned off the hallways, she gestured for her people to put their guns away. "Holster your weapons," she radioed, knowing Rick's group could hear.

Kagome and Beth watched as their people put their weapons away. The blonde could feel Shippo's comfort through their bond, keeping her calm during the intense situation. His strength is what helped her keep her sanity in this place, and Beth would continue to trust it.

Once the weapons were put away, Franco and McGinley opened the doors to the hall and walked over to Dawn's side. Rick stopped as soon as they walked through the door with Officers Shepherd and Licari still tied up and being held by Daryl, Shippo and Tyreese. Sasha and Carol stood close toward the back, just in case anyone snuck up behind them. Kilala remained on Carol's shoulder just in case she smelt anything or anyone coming up on them that they couldn't see.

Both Daryl and Shippo had to use every bit of will power they had not to run across the room and sweep their women into their arms.

But they didn't want to press their luck.

"They haven't been harmed," Rick told Dawn referring to Shepherd and Licari. Though it was more than obvious that her people didn't extend the same courtesy to Kagome and Beth.

Dawn stood firm as she glared at Rick, "Where's Lamson?"

"Rotters got him," Shepherd answered the question. Telling the lie just as easily as she told the story to Rick and the others. Kagome could sense the lie coming out of her mouth but made no move to suggest otherwise.

"We saw it go down," Lacarci confirmed Shepherd's lie.

Dawn nodded her head in disappointment, figuring her officers were telling truth, "Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. He was one of the good guys." The woman looked genuinely upset that Lamson was now gone, but they had to stick to the matter at hand. "One of yours for one of mine," she offered to Rick the exchange plan.

A sign of good faith.

He nodded and gestured for Daryl to let Lacarci go.

"Move," the hunter ordered as he shoved the big officer forward.

Meanwhile one of the officers wheeled Kagome over in her wheelchair, along with her bag, bow, and quiver of arrows.

The exchange was done silently as Daryl took the priestess's bag and weapons over his shoulder and wheeled Kagome to their group, "You okay?" he asked her in whisper.

"Yes," she told him, "Just very sore."

Daryl sighed in mild relief.

But it wasn't over yet.

Ever since they arrived, Shippo and Beth's eyes remained locked on each other.

Their bond made it so they didn't need to exchange word about what they felt in that moment.

Happy and relieved.

Dawn took Beth's arm, breaking the trance, and led her to the middle of the hallway. Shippo was going to take Shepherd, but Rick halted his movement by placing his arm in front the fox demon. Not because he was worried about Dawn breaking her word, but because he didn't fully trust Shippo to not do something stupid to the woman after seeing Beth's injuries that looked very recent.

Instead, Rick escorted Shepherd to the middle of the hall, which went just as smoothly as the first exchange.

Once Rick gave Beth a once over to make sure she was really alright, he let her go. The blonde went straight into Shippo's protective arms. The mates held one another tightly, not caring what the others were seeing. The fox demon kissed the side of her head and inhaled her scent as if it was his only life line.

Dawn almost rolled her eyes at the reunion before looking back at Rick, "I'm glad we could work things out."

Rick turned and nodded to the woman, "Yeah."

Just when the Rick's family was about to leave, thinking that this nightmare was finally behind them, Dawn spoke again.

"Now I just need Noah. And then you can leave."

The group halted in their movement.

Dawn didn't want it to be this way, really she didn't. But she had to maintain control of the people at the hospital. They'd easily try to take over and phase her out, or worse, kill her.

She wasn't going to let that happen.

Rick turned to Dawn and glared at her sinisterly, "That wasn't part of the deal."

"Noah was my ward," Dawn briefly explained, "Beth took his place and I'm losing her, so I need him back."

" **That bitch** ," Kagome swore under breath in Japanese as she tried to get up from her wheelchair.

"Easy," Daryl warned his injured priestess trying to keep her sitting down.

Even to the police officers found the whole thing unnecessary, "Ma'am, please it's not," an officer tried to talk her out of it.

"Shepherd!" Dawn warned the female officer to be silent. "My officers put their lives on the line to find him. One of them died."

Daryl walked over and shoved Noah so he'd be behind him and stood next to Rick, "No, he ain't stayin'."

Kagome grabbed Noah's arm to show that her family was keeping him.

Beth looked over to Shippo with pleading eyes, "Noah helped me. I wouldn't have made it this long if it wasn't for him."

The fox demon nodded at his mate, before stating to everyone in Grady, "Noah's staying with us." He stood in the middle of Rick and Daryl in the middle of the hall to prove his point.

"He's one of mine. You have no claim on him," Dawn reminded the group.

Rick shook his head, "The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him."

"Then we don't have a deal," Dawn stated to the men.

"The deal is done," Rick snapped at her.

Noah didn't like how dangerous the situation was becoming. He knew how stubborn Dawn can be and wouldn't hesitate to order the officers to fire on the group. Beth's group were good people and have already done so much for him in the short amount of time they've known him. That's when he decided to vocalize his sacrifice.

"It's okay," Noah told the group.

"No," Rick, Daryl, Shippo, Beth, and Kagome told him in reply.

Noah slowly limped over the middle of the hall. The priestess tried to hold his arm until it slipped through her finger tips. "I got to do it," he told Rick, hoping he'd understand his decision. Afterwards he looked over to Shippo, "Take care of her," he gestured to Beth, the first friend he's had in the longest time.

"Noah," the blonde called to him, not wanting her friend to stay in this terrible place because of her.

Dawn smiled triumphantly as Noah began to walk back to her, "It's settled."

"Wait," Beth said as she walked forward and hugged Noah, wishing for some way to stop all of this. It wasn't fair that Noah had to be the one to stay behind when he deserved to leave more than anyone else that was trapped in Grady.

"It's okay," Noah reassured her as he hugged her back, figuring that this would be the last time he'd see her.

Dawn shook her head at her ward perceptively, "I knew you'd be back."

Anger immediately grew in Beth's body as she heard those words leave Dawn's mouth.

It was enough to make Shippo's blood boil thanks to their bond. He could tell how much his mate despised this woman and how much she wanted her to go away.

Kagome's powers began to spike at the demonic power radiating from her son in that moment. She could even see Kilala's hair stand on end from her place on Carol's shoulder. The priestess had never felt the fox demon this angry before, 'Shippo and Beth must be on the same emotion wavelength if his anger is this strong.' With that in mind, Kagome lifted herself slowly out of her wheelchair, not knowing what was about to happen, but figuring that it wasn't going to be good.

After she released Noah, Beth took a few steps forward to stand in front of Dawn with a determined look on her face, "I get it now."

Quicker than the human eye could see, Shippo saw the weapon in Beth's hand, just as Dawn reached for her own weapon and instantly dashed to his mate's side, "BETH!"

The blonde stabbed Dawn in her shoulder, just as the fox demon shoved his mate at her side to get her out of the way of the oncoming retaliation.

That's when the gun shot was fired.

And the blood began to poor from Beth's head as she fell on the ground with a hard thud.

Everyone looked at Beth in shock, along with Dawn as she held the gun she'd fired in her hand.

The woman acted on pure reflex and truly didn't mean to shoot Beth.

But that didn't matter anymore.

Dawn had attempted to kill a demon's mate.

No one has ever attacks demon's mate and lived to tell about it.

And before Kagome could warn anyone what was about to happen, Shippo's eyes turned blood red as his demonic fangs grew over his lips.

"YOU!" the fox growled at Dawn in fury.

Shippo lunged at the police woman with demonic speed and pierced her neck with his fangs, ripping a good chunk of her throat out.

Dawn didn't even get a chance to scream as she chocked her blood.

Before the human police officers could draw their weapons to shoot at the demon in front of them, Beth's family had their weapons out and armed, daring them to stop what was happening.

Noah had pressed his back against the wall, trying to make sense of the sight that was happening in front of him. Rick had to pull him out of the way, just to make sure Shippo didn't make him his next victim.

"We'll explain later," Rick told the young man as he tried to keep everyone back from Shippo's wrath.

The fox demon viciously continued to use his teeth, fists, and claws on Dawn, unable to fulfill his rage.

There was no way of telling that the massacred body used to belong to Dawn, since her face and upper body was so damaged.

"SHIPPO!" Kagome cried out, as she limped her way over to adopted son knowing she'd have to bring him out of his rampage. "Stop!" she cried out as stood on her knees and struggled to pull Shippo's back into her chest to try and calm him. "She's dead! It's over!" she told him sternly, "It's over."

The fox demon huffed as his anger was withering away little by little from his mother's presence and her power to calm his demonic rage.

Once Shippo looked more settled, Daryl went over to Beth's body and gave a sigh of relief. "She's okay. Just unconscious. The bullet only nicked her on the head."

Kagome lowered her mouth to Shippo's ear, "You hear that...Beth's okay. You saved her," she soothed her son.

Shippo let his mother and step father's words sink in and looked at his unconscious mate on the floor.

Dawn was gone.

And his mate was safe.

Not caring he was covered in blood, Shippo moved over to his mate and lifted her bridal style in his arms. Rick and Noah stepped out of the fox demon's way as he held Beth close to him and spoke comforting words into her ear, "It's okay now, my love. We're together again."

Daryl lifted Kagome off the floor to her feet and helped her walk out of the blood stained hallway.

"Did you know he'd do that?" the hunter asked her.

Kagome looked over to him and gave a small slow nod, "You never come between mates...Ever."

Rick watched the two couples left and turned to the people of Grady, who still had the look of shock permanently etched on their faces. "The deal is done," he told them and walked out with his family.

The officers and doctor looked at one another not sure how to handle what they just saw.

All they could do was look at Dawn's body, a woman they despised more than anything else, torn apart on the floor.

The phrase 'be careful what you wish for' entered a few of their minds as the hall doors of Grady Memorial Hospital closed.

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"I gottcha," Daryl spoke softly as he helped Kagome walk outside of Grady.

"I know," the priestess replied affectionately as she leaned on him, knowing he wouldn't let her fall. The outside air felt heavy on this overly emotional day. As if a great wrong had been averted. "I never want to go to another hospital as long as I live."

The hunter lightly heckled at the comment.

Right when the group exited out of Grady's only entrance, Abraham parked the fire truck that held the remaining members of their family.

Glenn and Maggie got out of the truck first, wanting to see Beth with their own eyes.

The brunet's blood ran cold when Shippo walked out with Beth in his arms covered in blood. She fell to the ground in despair as her brain kept replaying the words, 'I told you so,' in her mind. Glenn was at her side in an instant, assuming the worst had happened.

"She's alive," the fox demon told her as he walked by her without pause. He didn't care about Maggie's emotional state when his mate was unconscious.

Maggie's eyes widened along with Glenn's as they turned and watched Tara open up the fire truck and helped Shippo put Beth inside, right next to Eugene.

No one commented about the blood smeared on him.

Souta hopped out of the truck and ran to Kagome, " **Sister,"** he said as he held his sister in relief.

"I'm okay," she told her brother as she wrapped one arm around him. The other was wrapped around Daryl in order to stand up straight.

"Why does it always take you being in a hospital to scare the living day light out of me," Souta asked his sister.

The priestess nodded, "I'll try to make it the last time." She looked around the group as Rick talked to Abraham about their return. "Where's Bob?" Kagome asked noticing that she was missing.

Daryl and Souta looked at one another before looking back to the priestess.

Kagome knew what they were going to say.

"No," she whimpered as she covered her mouth in grief. The priestess looked over to Sasha, and sure enough the woman was wearing Bob's jacket.

He was gone.

This was supposed to be a win for them.

Why did have to lose someone in order to get here?

"What do we do now?" Carol asked Rick as she stood next to Sophia and Sesshōmaru.

Rick looked at the group before his gaze fell to Noah, "We do what we promised...We'll take Noah home."

Noah nodded in appreciation, and they all left Grady and Atlanta.

Hoping it would be the last time they saw both sights.

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Beth woke up to the feeling of someone running their fingers softly through her hair.

She knew those fingers and she knew this person's smell by heart.

When Beth's eyes opened, she smiled at her mate, "Shippo."

The fox demon smiled back at his mate as he laid next to her in the back seat of the fire truck. He'd already cleaned himself up, not wanting Beth to see him covered in blood. Shippo leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the lips before resting his forehead onto hers. "I missed you," he spoke to her softly.

Beth brushed her casted handed fingers across his face, "I've missed you."

Shippo looked at the cast and the stitches on his mate's face with remorse. He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips on every one of her fingers from the casted hand before kissing the wounds on her face. Including the new bandage that Kagome placed on her from Dawn's bullet.

"They'll heal," Beth told him before looking at their surroundings, "What happened?" she asked in confusion.

"We got out," Shippo told her, not saying anything more than that.

Beth slowly began to recall what had happened at Grady, "I stabbed Dawn. I heard a gun go off and then...What happened after?"

Shippo looked away, not wanting her to know just how enraged he'd become.

Mate or not, Beth was still human.

And demon ways could be too much for her to handle.

But Shippo didn't need to say anything.

Beth already figured out what had happened from his silence.

Because, aside from Kagome, she knew him better than anyone.

"You killed her," Beth said as a statement instead of a question.

One single nod from the fox demon was her reply.

Beth grabbed Shippo's face, and brought his mouth to hers in loving kiss.

The fox demon's eyes widened at her response, but didn't hesitate to kiss her back.

"I'm getting cavities watching you two," Tara told them from the front of the fire truck, making Abraham laugh from his spot in the driver's seat.

The demon and his human pulled back with blushes on their face, forgetting about their audience.

Maggie and Glenn were also watching the couple from the front of the firetruck, using the mirrors placed on the visor. Both of them were happy that the married couple was reunited, and they were disappointed in themselves for not trying to make it happen sooner.

That had to change.

In fact, after today, many things were going to change.

 **SHE'S ALIVE! You guys can stop biting your nails now and reach for those tissues as tears of relief fall down your face. You people have no idea how hard it was to keep re-watching Coda in order to write this chapter. And look on Daryl's face when Beth is lying dead on the floor, gets me crying every time. (*insert Courage the Cowardly Dog Voice here* "The things I do for love") Anyway, what do you think? Next Time: Another journey and another struggle.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	32. Enjoy It While It Lasts

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Wow so many praises...and many more demands on who to keep alive on The Walking Dead. I'm a fanfic writer guys not a miracle worker. But I promise to keep you entertained: Elfy lolita,** **Frances12, darkangel0212, naruko1000, jumpingmanatee, MOONWOLF1234, Spastic Freak, 12345678910 (Guest), Altiria-Aty,** **KawaiiKittyHigh, Sarah1994, Maria Jose Velez Macias, EllaJuroku, The-Infamous-two, Guest (1), Guest (2), naruko1000,** **Zorix,** **memes16, nlaj1, ruler of the ice dragons, ProudMomma17, and all of you wonderful readers.**

Disclaimer: If you have yet to be informed please re-read the Disclaimers from chapter one through thirty one...Because I still own nothing.

Chapter Thirty Two: Enjoy It While It Lasts

Noah wanted to go home.

And most of the group was hesitant to take him.

Not because they didn't want their new friend to return home, but because they were worried about what they'd find when they got there.

And finding nothing, was their worst fear.

But it was what Noah wanted, and they agreed to take him home outside of Richmond, Virginia.

A five hundred mile drive.

It was the longest and most difficult journey the group had ever taken, but they had to believe it was worth it if everything turned out alright.

After the long drive with only ten miles to go, Rick, Michonne, Tyreese, Glenn, Beth and Shippo were making the rest of the trip to Noah's home. Everyone else who remained behind, needed to prepare for whatever was going to come of this journey.

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Kagome sat by one of the cars, checking their medical supplies to see what they had and what was needed. The group scavenged for what they could in Atlanta and whatever they could find when they stopped to make camp. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. The priestess had been recovering and was still sore from the car wrecks, but she wanted to preserve the pain medicine that was given to her at Grady just in case of emergencies.

Meanwhile Rick's team was going to check in every twenty minutes with their walkie talkies.

If they didn't, the group would go and look for them.

'They'll make it back,' Kagome told herself, 'They have to.'

"Hey," Daryl walked over and sat beside her, "You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"I can't sit and do nothing," Kagome told him as she paused in her work.

The hunter nodded, understanding why she was so restless, "You worried?"

Kagome nodded, "I have faith that everything will turn out fine in the end...But it's the how that scares me."

The hunter scooted behind his priestess and started rubbing her shoulders, to help her feel less tense. She moaned silently before leaning into Daryl's touch, "It'll be alright, Baby Girl."

"You're right," she turned to her angel and smiled at him.

But Daryl didn't smile back.

Something that didn't go unnoticed by the priestess.

The hunter had been acting very strange since the whole incident at Grady. He was more closed off from everyone, much more than usual. And any concern toward Daryl showed, was answered with a cold shoulder.

This behavior had caused Kagome to become a little worried, 'What is going on with him?'

" _Carol,"_ Rick spoke from the walkie, bringing everyone's attention to it.

The older woman put the walkie to her mouth to reply, "I'm here."

" _We're halfway there. Just wanted to check the range,"_ Rick informed the group.

"Everybody's holding tight," the older woman assured him, "We've made it five hundred miles. Maybe this can be the easy part."

There was a pause for a moment, _"Got to think we're due...Give us twenty minutes to check in."_

"If we don't hear from you, we'll come looking," Carol promised them as she gave the rest of the group a nervous glance.

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With the Rick's group, from the backseat of the car, Glenn looked over to Shippo and Beth sitting next to him. Beth's wounds had healed quickly, a bonus trait from her and Shippo's bond, so the blonde already took off her head bandage and cast she received from Grady. The fox demon had his arm secure around his mate, in a comfortable contentment. During most of the trip, Beth was almost never out of Shippo's reach.

Not that anyone could blame the human and demon.

However, it also meant that the young mated couple kept mostly to themselves, not giving the Korean a chance to speak with them until now.

"You should talk to your sister," Glenn told Beth as they continued to reach their destination.

The blonde looked at her brother in-law questioningly, "I talk to her."

"Not like you used to," Glenn pointed out, "You didn't even tell her you and Shippo were married."

"Mated. And that wasn't our fault," Shippo corrected as he glared at the Korean. "And don't act like that's the reason we haven't been talking with you guys as much."

Glenn sighed, knowing that it was the truth, "Maggie...She didn't want to get her hopes up."

"Is that why she left notes for you to follow her but not me?" Beth asked him in irritation, "She really didn't think I was going to make it out of the prison."

"That was a hard time for all of us," Michonne interrupted from her seat in the middle of the van. It was hard not to be involved in the conversation since it was a pretty cramped vehicle.

"But I never gave up wanting to look for any of you," Beth told everyone who was listening, "Not for an instant. And the fact that Maggie's only concern was for Glenn. Especially after we just lost our father...That hurts."

Rick looked over his shoulder at the three in the back, "If we're going to do this you can't have those feelings clouding your head."

Shippo nodded, "We won't," he told him, "We're not the ones with the issue."

Glenn looked down to the floor of the van in regret. He just wanted his family to get along after everything they've been through since the prison fell. 'Hopefully things get back to normal soon.'

Noah, who was sitting in the passenger seat, wanted to break the tension in the car. "I've been wanting to tell you something," he told the driver, Tyreese. "The trade...It was the right play. It did work...Just something else happened after."

"And I'd do it again," Shippo called over to them, making Beth lean next to him with a smile.

Tyreese nodded, "It went down the way it had to. The way it was always going to."

Noah nodded as he thought about what Dawn could have done, "I've never wanted to kill anybody before."

"I've had that," Tyreese voiced, "But it just made it so I didn't see anything except what I wanted...I wasn't facing it."

"Facing what?" Noah asked confused.

Tyreese looked over, "What happened...What's going on, "he answered before putting his eyes back on the road. "My dad always told Sasha and me that it was our duty as citizens of the world to keep up with the news. When I was little and I was in his car, there were always those stories on the radio...Something happens a thousand miles away or down the block...Some kind of horror I couldn't even wrap my head around...But he didn't change the channel. He didn't turn it off. He just kept listening...To face it. Keeping your eyes open. My dad always called that 'Paying the high cost of living.'

Noah listened to the story and couldn't help but think of his own family, "I lost my dad in Atlanta. I think he would have liked yours."

"Mine would have," Beth called over to the back.

Shippo leaned forward from his seat, finally taking his arm away from Beth. "I was just a little kid when I lost my father," he told everyone. "He was murdered by thunder demons right in front of me...They skinned him and used his fur as a pelt. Just because they could." Beth reached over and rubbed his back, knowing that it was a painful memory for her mate to talk about. "That was the first time I wanted to kill someone...But I was too weak to do it...So I went to steal something to help me avenge his death."

"You stole from Kagome," Michonne finished, remembering the story.

"And Inuyasha," Shippo added in mild amusement, "Which he wasn't too happy about. But they both helped me avenge my father's death and took me in afterwards...I don't try to think about what I've lost too often." His statement made everyone listen with interest, "Because I've gained so much more. Especially now," he said while grabbing Beth's hand. "I gained a mother. A mate. A family...A step father," he gaged the last part, which made Beth giggle, "It's not funny. I don't want a new daddy."

"It is a little funny," Beth countered, "I mean...It's Daryl."

The other's in the car couldn't help but laugh too at Shippo's woes.

"Two more miles," Noah informed them.

Rick nodded, "We'll go the rest on foot in the woods."

"Do we need to?" Beth asked him.

"Just in case," he replied.

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The small joy that they had in the car didn't last long.

Because their worst fears were realized when Noah looked over the gates of his community, Shirewilt.

It was gone.

Homes were destroyed by fires from the state of the houses as well as some of the bodies.

A few stray Walkers were strolling or crippled in the street.

The group climbed the fence, and Noah looked around the remains of what used to be his home. He ran through the street to look for any signs of life and came up with nothing.

The sight made Noah fall to his knees in despair and begin to cry.

Beth squatted down behind her friend and hugged him, with her face hung over the back of his shoulder, as he cried for everyone he had lost. A few silent tears began falling down her own face when she saw them. Beth didn't tell him that things were going to be okay, since she knew it wouldn't be for him...Not for a good long while.

Rick kneeled to the side of a sobbing Noah, "I'm sorry...I truly am." He looked to the rest of the group, "We should see if there's anything we can use and head back."

"Then what?" Michonne asked their leader. She was disappointed that the community was gone, since she knew that they needed a place to call home. The sword wielder had been so worried about Carl, Souta, and Sophia's up brining in this world since they spoke to Gabriel at the church.

How they shouldn't ever let their guard down, or stay in a place for too long.

It took them saying that for Michonne to realize that the adults felt the same way too.

That wasn't life.

That was surviving.

Rick didn't get a chance to answer her questions since a few stray Walkers caught sight of them.

"They see us," she said as she walked over to the dead with her sword in hand.

Glenn looked over to Rick, "We can make a quick sweep."

Shippo nodded and hesitantly kneeled down to Beth as she shushed a sobbing Noah, "I'm going with them. You take care of Noah." The fox demon held Noah in high regards since he helped watch over his mate at Grady and aided in rescuing her.

Beth nodded as she held her crying friend. Shippo leaned over and kissed her forehead before he hesitated to pull away from her. They hadn't been separated since they left Grady, which made the fox demon a little nervous.

"I'll stay with them," Tyreese told the fox demon, knowing the fox demon would feel better if someone was watching their back as they mourned.

Shippo nodded in appreciation before he went with Rick, Michonne and Glenn to scavenge for supplies.

All of them missed the white graffiti on the far wall behind them.

Wolves Not Far

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" _Carol, do you copy?"_ Rick talked in the walkie.

Everyone froze in movement.

Their leaders tone said it all.

"No," Kagome whimpered as Carol picked up the walkie.

"I'm here," she answered.

" _We made it,"_ Rick spoke in monotone, _"It's gone."_

Carl, Souta and Sophia looked down to the ground in despair. They really liked Noah, and had really hoped that his family was alright. Kilala, who was sitting behind them in her larger form, wrapped her body around them in comfort.

Daryl wrapped his arm around Kagome as she buried her head in his shoulder in sadness.

Gabriel bowed his head and said a prayer for Noah and his family.

Abraham cursed under his breath while Rosita, Tara, Sasha and Eugene looked to each other in disappointment.

Sesshōmaru stood silently as he always had, and showed no emotions on his face.

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Rick, Glenn, Shippo and Michonne cleared a few houses over the past hour.

Michonne's upset over the community being was clearly shown by her actions and tone of voice when she spoke.

It hurt Rick to see her that way, but she didn't feel like talking and kept her distance from the men.

"You didn't think it would still be here?" Rick asked the Korean, noticing how silent he was as well.

Glenn shrugged as he looked through a houses garage, "Did either of you?"

"I had hoped," Shippo answered, "For Noah's sake...It's what we do."

Rick also shrugged, "I didn't know if it would still be here...But Beth and Kagome wanted to bring Noah home...And we did."

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Noah was still crying, as he sat on the ground in Beth's arms.

She was allowing him to grieve.

This is what he needed.

A time to let it all out.

Just like what Beth needed when she lost her mother, brother and her father.

"I wanted to die for what I lost," Tyreese broke the silence between them, wanting to share his own experience in grief. "Who I lost," he corrected, "I stepped out into a crowd of those things just trying to...take it all out on them until they took me. Put them all in front of me so I didn't see anything...But I just kept going...And then later, I was there for Judith when she needed me...I saved her. I brought her back to her dad...And that wouldn't have happened if I had just given up...If I hadn't chosen to live."

Noah's sobbing lessened as Tyreese kept talking.

Understanding what the older man was doing, Beth lowered her sweater sleeve and showed Noah the scar on her wrist. "I wanted to end it all too," she showed the two men. The mark she made when she wanted to kill herself after finding out her mother and brother weren't coming back. Noah traced the mark on her once casted wrist. "It's okay to feel helpless...But we can't let it consume us," she told them. "If I hadn't chosen to live...I never would have met Shippo. Or you," she told Noah, noticing his shoulder wasn't as tense. "I'm glad that I was taken to Grady...Because I was able to help get you out of there."

Tyreese walked forward and grabbed Noah's shoulder, "This isn't the end."

Noah looked at the two and slowly began to stand up. Beth kept him steady due to his limp.

"There you go," Tyreese encouraged him, "That's right."

Then Noah went into a sprint down the street.

"Noah!" Beth followed him along with Tyreese.

They both didn't need to ask where he was going.

They already knew.

It's what anyone would do.

He ran to his family's house.

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Meanwhile, the others were scavenging a garage a few blocks away.

"I was thinking about that guy in the storage container," Glenn told Rick and Shippo as they leaned against a car, looking at the supplies they found. "Back at Terminus...How I made us stop."

Shippo took a deep breath and exhaled at the thought of that man. According Rick, Glenn and Bob, he was one of the men that took over Terminus and caused those people to become cannibalistic.

"After the prison, on my trip, I found Souta and Sophia. And got Maggie back," Glenn continued, "Things went okay...Losing Washington...Almost losing Beth after we just found her...I hadn't caught up with you guys yet," Glenn informed Rick and Shippo. "If it were now, I wouldn't make us stop...We'd run right by. And I would have shot that woman dead for what she had done to my little sister. Right or wrong."

"We need to stop," Michonne informed the men, making them turn around, "You can be out here too long."

Both humans and demon looked at each other absorbing what the woman meant.

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Beth and Tyreese caught up with Noah after he stopped running from them.

"This is my house," Noah told them as he stood in front of a small blue house.

Tyreese shook his head as he stood in front of Noah, preventing him from entering his home, "You don't want to go in there."

"Yes, I do," he told the older man before looking at Beth, "I have to...Let me see it."

The blonde looked from Noah, to the house then back to him again, "I'll go in with you."

Tyreese sighed as he looked at the determination in their eyes before pulling out his knife, "Me first."

The older man opened the front door of the house before banging on the wall. The three of them listened and watched for any Walkers, but saw no signs of the dead walking around him.

But there was a dead body on the living room floor.

Noah came in, with Beth holding his hand in support, and saw his mother laying there dead.

There was a bullet wound in her head, so she couldn't come back as a Walker.

For that, Noah was relieved.

It took a moment for Noah to be brave enough to let go of his friend's hand, walk over to his mother, and cover her body with a nearby blanket. Beth kneeled down next to him and bowed her head to pray for her passing.

Neither of them noticed Tyreese when he heard a noise down the hall and tried to find the source of it on his own.

"I tried to come back sooner," Noah whimpered to his mother, "I tried...But I did what you told me to."

"I bet she was glad you weren't here when this happened," Beth told her friend as he cried. "She'd want you to live."

Noah nodded knowing that she was right, 'But she makes it sound so easy.'

They were both silent as Noah stared at his mother.

He knew eventually he'd have to get up and find his brothers.

Suddenly, they were both interrupted by screaming.

Tyreese's screaming.

Both Beth and Noah dashed to the source of the noise.

Tyreese was fighting a Walker.

There was flesh blood on Tyreese's arm and on the ground.

He'd been bitten.

"No!" Beth cried out as Noah killed his Walker twin brother.

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Shippo had been talking to Rick, Glenn, and Michonne as they thought about trying to come up with their next destination.

Michonne had pitched the idea that they should fix the wall at Shirewilt and stay here, but Rick rejected the proposal. Especially since he didn't like how they found dismembered Walker parts in the opening of the community. She then suggested Washington again, thinking along the same lines as Kagome about not seeing the harm in trying.

Where else were they going to go?

Suddenly, the fox demon was overcome with an overbearing sadness.

An emotion that did not belong to him.

"Beth," he said out loud before dropping the supplies they've gathered and running to the direction where they'd left Beth, Noah and Tyreese.

"Shippo wait!" Rick, Glenn and Michonne followed.

"What's going on?" Glenn asked the fox demon.

"Something's wrong," he answered vaguely, "I don't know what. But it's bad."

They all ran to the spot where they left the three and found it empty.

"Shit," the fox demon cursed, 'The first time I let the woman out of my sight and this is what happens.'

"Shippo!" they heard Beth cry from down the street, "Rick! Glenn! It's Tyreese! He's been bit!"

All five of them ran back to Noah's house, by following Beth, as fast as they could.

Noah stayed behind to defend Tyreese from any other trouble. There was one stray Walker that was attracted to the smell of Tyreese's blood but Noah fought it off.

Tyreese was in and out of consciousness from blood loss and shock. He was sweating profusely and mumbled incoherent things in his state.

Noah couldn't make out what he was saying half the time, but he recognized the names he was saying.

Bob.

Martian.

Lizzie.

Mika.

...Governor.

Beth came in with the others, knowing that they had to work fast.

Rick removed his belt and tied it around Tyreese's bitten arm. Glenn, Shippo and Noah, had to hold the man down for what was about to happen. Michonne drew her sword, ready to strike on Rick's command. Beth grabbed a few sheets and blankets in the bedroom and folded them for a temporary gauze.

"Hold him tight," Rick ordered the men.

"We got it," Glenn retorted back.

Rick looked to Michonne, "One hit, clean! Go!"

Michonne took her sword and sliced Tyreese's arm off in one strike right about where had been bitten. Beth came in after that with the folded sheets and blanket to stop the bleeding and tied it off with her own belt.

This was the only thing they could do for Tyreese right now since they were still trapped in a neighborhood filled with Walkers.

And just like the stray one from before, the dead could smell the fresh blood.

After carrying Tyreese's dead weighted body out of house, Shippo transformed into his full demon form so he could carry Tyreese on his back.

Free to move, the others fought off the stray Walker coming to them with their guns, knives, and sword.

There was already a herd of Walkers at the gate of the community where they entered, "Break the chain! Use the bat!" Rick ordered the others.

As soon as the door opened, the other's fought and killed the Walkers.

Shippo stood in back but kept his eye on Beth as she fought, ready to pull her out of danger if necessary. But he shouldn't have underestimated his mate as she killed every Walker that came her way with little to no trouble.

"Go!" Rick ordered the fox demon.

Beth climbed onto Shippo's back, behind Tyreese in order to keep him steady and let him run to the car, since the fox demon couldn't keep his form the whole ten miles back to the group. The others followed behind the demon as fast as they could, by the time they got there, Shippo and Beth had loaded Tyreese into the car and were sitting in the back. Glenn and Noah came in and helped Tyreese sit up straight.

Rick hoped in the driver's seat and pulled out the walkie and told Carol the situation. He made sure to order her to keep the kids and Sasha away from what was going to happen. Once Michonne got into the passenger seat, Rick punched the gas pedal.

The car momentarily traction before it rammed into the car in front of him.

The back of the abandoned car opened, making dozens upon dozens of living dismembered Walkers piled on the hood of the car.

"Shit," Rick cursed.

"What the hell is that?" Shippo asked in disgust.

Every one of the Walker's heads was marked with a 'W' etched into their foreheads.

Tyreese's eyes fluttered as Rick backed up the car and began to drive away from the horrific scene.

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Carol and Kagome went to work on a fire and on something to cauterize the stump on Tyreese's arm.

Both women were extremely nervous when they heard it was Tyreese's arm that had been amputated. The priestess only hoped that it wasn't the man's left arm, 'The artery connected to the heart goes all the way down the left arm...It's not easy to heal or recover from.'

"Ready?" Carol asked Kagome as she put the meat shovel, the only metal object they had to spare, to close the injury.

"Ready," Kagome told her.

The group waited impatiently for the others to return.

"Where the hell are they?" Daryl cursed in worried anticipation.

When the car was spotted down the road, Sesshōmaru took one sniff of the air. 'They were too late,' he thought as he smelled the blood and death radiating from the vehicle.

The others didn't know what happened on their return until Rick and the other's exited the car with defeated looks on their faces.

Rick kept walking until he found Sasha behind the truck with the others.

"Oh no," Kagome covered her mouth in sadness at Rick's behavior.

Tyreese didn't make it.

Beth was already crying on Shippo's shoulder.

Everyone looked in the ground in mourning as Sasha's scream of sorrow echoed through the night.

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It had been three weeks since that terrible day.

The group buried Tyreese and held a funeral in his honor. Both Gabriel and Kagome recited prayers from both of their religions. Sophia found a few wild flowers and laid them on Tyreese's grave.

A cross was made for him and used his signature beanie as a grave marker.

Sasha hadn't spoken to anyone much since it happened.

But no one pressured her.

The car's they had eventually ran out of gas, forcing the group to Walk down the road the rest of the way to Washington.

Sixty miles.

Everyone was tired.

Even Sesshōmaru looked a little out of it, which wasn't a good sign for any of them.

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The group was walking.

Slowly.

The young teens were exhausted, forcing Kilala to transform and carry them on her back.

At least Judith was entertained by the movement of riding the cat demon.

That is until she started getting fussy in Carl's arms.

'She's hungry,' Daryl figured as they were walking, 'Hell we all are.'

"I'm gonna head out," Daryl informed Rick as he started walking into the woods, "See what I can find."

Kagome attempted to follow him but he turned around and halted her movement, "I got it," he told her, as he started walking back in.

The priestess was confused on why he didn't want her around, 'Did I do something to make him mad?'

"I'll go," Carol volunteered and walked behind him.

"I said I got it," the hunter told the woman.

Carol only shrugged as she walked by, "You gonna stop me?"

Daryl didn't do anything to stop her, which made Kagome all the more confused and a little irritated.

Rick and Shippo came to the priestess side after the exchange, "He's probably still thinking about Tyreese," Rick figured, trying to help her feel better.

Kagome nodded once, "Maybe...He just hasn't been himself lately...It has me worried."

Shippo leaned over and kissed his mother's forehead, "It'll be alright."

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Maggie and Beth were walking together, having speaking more often since Tyreese's funeral. They had forgotten how short life could be for them. Holding a grudge shouldn't be the last thing you do with your sibling.

"Carl found this when he was looking for water. He thought you'd like it," Beth showed her the jewelry box he'd found. It was yellow and pink with a dancing ballerina inside. "It's broken. But still pretty."

"That was sweet of him," Maggie replied to her sister.

The blonde nodded, "I miss having a room to put the stuff we collect in."

"Me too," Maggie agreed with her. The brunet began to wipe the sweat from her brow and was getting really tired. Suddenly, Kilala nudged her at her side as if to wake her up. "Hey," she ruffled the cat demon's head. Although protecting the baby, young teenagers and her mistress was Kilala's top priority, she also seemed protective of Maggie. 'I wonder why,' the brunet wondered briefly.

The movement behind them caused the two farmer daughters to look at Father Gabriel, who was adjusting his priest collar. "I used to joke the things were leftovers from the days of hair shirts." Both girls raised a brow, "The church actually made shirts out of hair. So if you wore it, you could atone just a little for your sins."

"We know what a hair shirt is," the brunet replied, "Our father was religious...I used to be."

"I still am," Beth told them truthfully.

Maggie looked at her sister in disbelief, "After everything we suffered...Why?"

Beth shrugged, "It helps me feel better...And it doesn't cost anything."

Gabriel nodded at their answers in acceptance, "If either of you ever want to talk...About your father."

"Please stop," Maggie begged the priest and walked ahead of them.

Beth wasn't as dismissive, "My daddy would have been happy to have met you...I am too."

Gabriel smiled at her in appreciation.

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Sasha looked behind the group as the Walkers continued to follow them. Sesshōmaru was also behind them, taking up the end like always. "We can take 'em," she told Michonne next to her.

"No," Michonne disagreed, "Rick's right. We barley have anything left. No use in spending it all now...Sesshōmaru, Shippo, or Kilala can take care of it if necessary."

Sasha glared at the woman's answer and turned back to the Walkers, "I can take 'em"

Michonne looked at the younger woman in pity, "Your brother was pissed too, after what he lost...It made him stupid."

"We are not the same," she growled at Michonne, referring to her brother, "We never were."

"But it's still the same," Michonne shook her head in disagreement, "It just is."

The demon lord passed the two woman before glancing over at Sasha, "You shouldn't be in a rush to die."

"Nobody asked you," Sasha almost snarled at the demon.

Sesshōmaru almost snorted in amusement, "You reminded me of my half breed brother...He was foolish as well."

Sasha glared at the demon before continuing to follow the group.

Michonne looked at the demon lord suspiciously, "Did you do that on purpose? To get her mind away from the Walkers."

"Now why would I do that," the demon lord asked rhetorically. "Ridiculous," he added, making the sword wielder smirk.

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Meanwhile, Daryl and Carol were still in the woods.

"Anything?" she asked him.

The hunter shook his head as he looked at the ground, "It's too dry. There ain't nothin' here."

"Maybe we should start back," Carol suggested to him.

Daryl looked at her briefly before he continued his search, "You go."

Carol shook her head in disappointment, "If you're gonna blame someone for what happened to Kagome, than pick me."

Her comment made the hunter freeze in movement.

"I encouraged you to leave her at Grady," Carol continued as she walked over to stand in front of him, "I couldn't stop her from running out the door ahead of me...It was my fault...Not yours."

Daryl didn't say a word to her.

"I know you," she told him, "That you feel guilty...We're different but...I can't let myself...But you...I know you. And you're going to have to let yourself feel it."

The hunter still said nothing to her.

Carol reached over to wipe Daryl's hair away from his face, leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Something she dared never to do in front of Kagome or Sesshōmaru. She could even tell that Daryl wasn't all that comfortable with what she had just done. 'Some things never change,' she thought while turning around and leaving the hunter alone with his thoughts.

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The traveling family finally caught their break less than an hour later.

They came across a bridge with two steep embankments next to it that went right into a gorge.

This was how they'd get rid of the Walkers.

After sending Beth, Shippo, Eugene, Tara, Rosita, Carol, Gabriel and Sesshōmaru with Kilala in her larger form, the young teens and Judith to the other side of the bridge. The rest of the adults would stand on both ends of the bridge in order to separate the Walkers and let them fall down the steep hill. Rick ordered them not to kill the Walkers unless it was absolutely necessary.

No point in wasting the energy.

Maggie wanted to stay and help too, but a large Kilala grabbed her sleeve and forced her to stay with the rest of them. The brunet questioned the demons actions but Shippo also suggested that Maggie stay back, just in case things went bad for them.

Kagome easily took her place in the lineup, not questioning her son's reasoning, 'Still strange though.'

"Here they come," Rick warned the others as the Walkers approached them.

One by one the Walkers kept coming, and one by one the six of them would easily guide and toss the Walkers down the steep embankment.

The plan was working.

Until Sasha, in her anger, used her knife to the Walker that she allowed to get too close to her.

Rick cursed under his breath, "Stay in line. Flank her," he gestured to Sasha, "Keep it controlled."

"Plan just got dicked," Abraham said in mild amusement as he drew his weapon.

Sasha continued to take stab the Walkers, completely ignoring Ricks orders. One someone grabbed her arm, she almost stabbed them.

Michonne merely glared at the woman's threat, "Stop. Just get out of here."

Sasha yanked her arm away and tried to continue the fight. Only to have Kagome pull her back, "Sasha. You're done."

"No," the angry woman growled trying to get away, but the priestess hold was too strong.

"We're not losing you too," Kagome told the woman harshly as she dragged Sasha away from the fight. In her struggle, Sasha managed to pull out her knife and slash a nearby Walker's throat, nicking Abraham in the arm in the process.

"Sasha!" Kagome warned the woman.

The rest of the group managed to kill the other Walkers with Daryl's help after he returned from the woods.

Once Michonne sliced the last Walkers head off, she stormed over to Sasha, who stopped struggling when the last Walker hit the ground. "I told you to stop!" she scolded the woman harshly.

Sasha looked at her two friends in anger, before walking to the other side of the bridge.

Kagome sighed in disappointment before going over to Daryl, "You okay?"

"Yeah," he told before wrapping his arm around her and walking her back.

Although the gesture was sweet, Kagome could still tell that something was off about her angel.

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The next day started like the last.

Lots of walking.

Any water that was left was used for Judith and the young teens or emergencies.

But everyone was low on energy.

The kids started walking again, with Carl holding Judith, when they saw something blocking the road.

"Dad," Carl gestured to up ahead.

There were three cars blocking the path, along with a few others on the side of the road.

Everyone became instantly wary.

Kagome scanned the area, and found nothing. Neither did Sesshōmaru or Shippo with their demonic senses.

It wasn't a trap.

Well, at least not an ambush.

"There's a dead corpse in one of the cars," Sesshōmaru informed the group.

"I'm gonna head into the woods," Daryl told the others again, wanting to see if there were any remains of the people that did this, "Circle back."

"May I come with?" Carol asked him.

"No," he said, sternly this time, "No, just me."

It made Kagome worried again, "Did he say anything before?"

Carol looked to the priestess as they watched the hunter disappear into the woods, "No...He barely said a word."

After searching the cars and coming up with nothing but a bottle of booze, everyone sat down exhausted. Except for Sesshōmaru who refused to keep his guard down.

"That'll just make things worse," Tara told Rosita as they watched Abraham drink the booze.

"He knows that," Rosita replied in disappointment.

"He's a grown man," Eugene spoke for the first time in a while, "And I truly do not know if things can get worse."

Rosita snorted, thinking the answers was obvious, "It can."

Before anyone else could comment, Kilala began to hiss at something approaching from the woods.

Everyone stood up, ready for anything, only to have Sesshōmaru walk in front of the group. He looked completely unaffected by the upcoming threat, which wasn't too unusual.

'But something seems different,' Sophia noticed before she got her answer why.

Four stray dogs came out of the woods, all of them growling at the people in hunger.

They were starving.

"Dogs," Shippo looked amused, "Why did it have to be dogs?"

"Watch your mouth Kitsune," Sesshōmaru warned the fox demon.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kagome rolled her eyes at the comment and gestured at the dogs, "Just...do your thing please."

Sesshōmaru glared at the growling canines in front of him as they barked at their future meal.

The demon lord's eyes suddenly turned red and snarled at the dogs in front of him.

Each and every canine didn't hesitate to whimper, fold their ears back and lower to the ground in submission. One of them even presented its belly in fear.

When Sesshōmaru's eyes returned to normal, Rick, Daryl and Kagome stood next to him. All three of them had the same look of desperation in their eyes.

Sasha was the one to make the decision for them, by shooting all the dogs in the head.

They needed food...And here it was.

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It felt good to have some food in their belly for the next day.

But they still needed water.

They had very little left.

Maggie looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

"Take a drink," Glenn offered his wife.

She shook her head no, knowing that the others were a lot thirstier.

"You need it," Shippo urged her as he walked next to Beth, who was next to her sister.

"Please," the blonde urged her sister.

With a sigh, the brunet gave in and took the drink. She actually took more than she was supposed to but it made her feel better.

Beth gave a small smile before looking to Shippo, silently asking his permission to tell her sister the news. He was the one that told her about what he could sense going on with Maggie. The fox demon shook his head, knowing that now wasn't the time to tell. 'No point in adding extra worry and causing more stress on her body.' All they could do was make sure that she was being taken care of to survive.

Glenn turned around and offered the bottle to Kagome and Daryl. The priestess took a small sip before offering it to the hunter.

"Nah," he told her sternly.

His harsh tone made Kagome step back a little, "S-sorry." She didn't want him to get angry, so she went to Souta and Sophia to give them the bottle. When she turned around she realized that Daryl was gone. "Where is he?" she asked Abraham, who was in the back with them along with Sesshōmaru.

"He said he was looking for water," he told her.

Kagome's fist clenched in irritation, "Oh that's it."

"Give'em hell Mom," Shippo called out when Kagome stormed away to follow Daryl in the woods.

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Daryl kept walking in the woods until he found a barn.

It was peaceful.

It was finally a perfect time to pull out his stash of cigarettes.

He'd been needing one for the last few weeks and the temptation was finally getting to him.

He sat down in front of a tree and lite the cigarette with a match from a packet he'd hidden in his pocket.

As the hunter smoked he thought about what Carol had told him the other day. How he needs to allow himself to feel. He couldn't allow himself to do that with so many people counting on him.

About half way through his cigarette Daryl took the lit end and started to burn the skin of his hand.

The pain distracted the hunter from the guilt he'd been feeling inside of him.

Suddenly another hand pulled the cigarette away from Daryl's hand, to keep him from hurting himself again.

Daryl knew she'd been following him, even though she'd stayed hidden, 'I taught her well.'

Kagome sat down next to the hunter, staring at him as he looked at the barn, rubbing her thumb against the hand he'd burned. She had been so angry when she went out to find him, but when she saw him hurting himself, all that anger had vanished. "Tenshi...what's been on your mind?" Kagome asked her angel.

The hunter took a few minutes to answer, "You."

The priestess tilted her head in confusion, "What about me?"

Daryl lowered his head as he tried to make sure the tears didn't fall from his eyes, "I shouldn't have let you get ahead of me...In Atlanta...You wouldn't have been so hurt. By the fall from the bridge...Or hit by the car...I shouldn't have let that happen."

Kagome released his hand and cupped his check so he'd finally look at her, "Yes it happened. But I'm still here...I'll always be here."

"But," the hunter tried to explain how it was his fault, but the priestess shook her head.

"You can't keep thinking about what you should have done," Kagome told him, "If you keep living in the past then you'll only miss what good you have right now...Trust me I know."

Daryl let out an exasperated sigh, before leaning forward and kissing her lips sweetly.

Kagome giggled when he pulled back, "Your mouth tastes gross."

The hunter smirked before leaning forward and kissing her again, which Kagome allowed him to do to his amazement.

"You're lucky I love you," the priestess told him, regarding his smoky breath.

"Don't gotta tell me," Daryl replied as he leaned over and held his forehead to hers.

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When Daryl and Kagome returned, everyone was looking at the ground around their camp.

Rick walked over to them with a piece of paper that read 'From a Friend.'

Kagome looked over to Shippo, who was smelling the gift that this 'friend' left for them.

"It smells clean," he informed the group about the collection of full water jugs and bottles left for them. Daryl and Rick went to go discuss the situation while Sesshōmaru walked over to Kagome **. "Do you sense anything, Priestess?"** he asked in Japanese, not wanting the other humans to know what he was saying.

Kagome took a moment scan the area, **"No I don't,"** she replied in confusion.

" **Neither can I,"** the demon lord stated, **"Nor can the fox and cat."**

The priestess's eyes widened in shock, **"What does that mean?"**

Sesshōmaru didn't answer.

Eugene leaned forward to get one of the bottles only to have Abraham smack it out of his hand, brought the demon and priestess back to the situation at hand.

"We can't," Rick told his group.

Shippo smirked when he took a sniff in the air, "It's not going to matter anyway."

Souta looked at his nephew in confusion, "Why's that?"

Not a few moments later.

It started to rain.

Everyone smiled as the clear water fell from the sky cooling them off.

Carl, Sophia, and Souta opened their mouths and started drinking the water drops. Even Eugene started copying their actions.

Judith was fussy by this strange new event that was happening around her, but her big brother protected her by giving her his hat.

Gabriel fell to his knees, "I'm sorry, my Lord," he prayed since he was starting to lose his faith. This was clearly a sign for him not to give up just yet.

Tara and Rosita began to lay on the road and enjoy the sensation of cool water on their bodies.

Michonne, Carol, Maggie, Beth just started laughing in relief. Kilala was shacking her wet fur, getting them more wet then they were now.

Glenn and Shippo smirked at one another, believing that their luck was finally turning around.

Kagome leaned into Daryl, with a smile on her face.

"What?" he asked her.

"Just enjoying the now," she told him as she kept her face buried in his chest. She felt him wrap his arm back around her a moment later.

Sasha, Abraham and Sesshōmaru were the only ones that didn't react to the rain.

"Everybody get the bags. Anything you can find," Rick ordered, not wanting to miss this shot of getting water.

Everyone looked through their belongings trying to find a container to fill it with rain water.

Suddenly, a loud thunder was heard and the rain started to fall harder.

A storm was coming.

"We gotta move," Rick told the other's when he saw how dark the clouds were becoming.

"There's a barn," Daryl informed the group.

"Where?" Rick asked him.

"We'll show you," Kagome said as they started gathering their belongings and heading into the woods.

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Kagome didn't sense anyone inside the barn, while Sesshōmaru told them that there was only one Walker inside. Maggie found the Walker and killed it before dragging it outside.

Once that was over, everyone settled around the fire in order to dry themselves off.

Sophia, Souta, and Carl, with his arm wrapped around Judith, were already asleep for the night next to the adults by the fire. They stayed huddled together in order stay warmer but were wary of Judith in between them.

Carol smiled at her daughter, proud that she went through this hardship without any complaining.

Beth found some dry blankets and began covering the young teens and baby with them.

"They'll be okay," Carol told Rick and Kagome, gesturing to the boys. "Those three bounce back more than any of us do."

Rick shook his head, "I used to feel sorry for kids that have to grow up now. In this...But I think I got it wrong."

"How so?" Kagome asked while sitting next to Daryl.

"Growing up is getting used the world," he explained, "This is easier for them."

"This isn't the world," Michonne corrected him, "This isn't it."

Shippo shook his head, "The world's the same...There's just something going on in it right now."

Glenn grabbed Maggie's hand as they leaned next to each other, while Beth scooted in next to them and her mate.

"He's right," Rick agreed.

"That's giving up," Michonne pointed out.

"It's reality," Glenn countered.

"You're all forgetting that the world you knew was once very different," Kagome remained them as she gestured to Sesshōmaru and Shippo, "The world had more of people like them running around. It was demons that used to be the real threat...It took time, but the world adapted in the humans favor...It can easily happen again."

Rick nodded, "Until we see otherwise, this is what we have to live with."

Michonne looked down at Kilala next to her, and stroked her head.

"When I was a kid...I asked my grandpa once if he ever killed any Germans in the war," Rick spoke, "He wouldn't answer. He said that was grown-up stuff, so...So I asked if the Germans ever tried to kill him...But he got real quiet... He said he was dad the minute he stepped into enemy territory. Every day he woke up and told himself, 'Rest in peace. Now get up and go to war.' And then after a few years of pretending he was dead...he made it out alive. That's the trick of it, I think. We do what we need to do and then we get to live...But no matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be okay. Because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves...that we are _The Walking Dead_."

Daryl listened to the story and shook his head in disagreement, "We ain't them"

Rick nodded, "We're not them."

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Daryl paced by the barn door for over an hour as the storm continued.

"You should sleep, hunter," Sesshōmaru informed him.

"Nah, I'm good," Daryl told him before stopped pacing and looked at the demon lord. "What were you two whispering about...About not sensing."

The demon raised a brow, "You understood us?"

"Only a little," Daryl briefly explained.

Sesshōmaru still nodded, impressed by this. "The miko and I couldn't sense anyone when we discovered the water...It was concerning."

"Any idea on how'd they do that?" the hunter asked.

"There's one possible way," Sesshōmaru stated before looking at him, "They are not human."

It made Daryl realize why even the demon lord was anxious about the problem.

Suddenly Sesshōmaru's head turned to the door in full alert.

The hunter quickly noticed and went to see through the crack in the door.

A herd of Walkers were coming.

Daryl slammed his body into the door to keep it closed and chained it up. He and the demon lord kept their backs to the door to keep it from opening as the Walkers began leaning on the door.

The commotion of Daryl and Sesshōmaru along with the snarling of the Walkers were enough grab everyone's attention. Once they realized what was happening, everyone ran over to help keep the door shut, including Carl, Sophia and Souta. Judith could be heard crying as they held the door. A small Kilala laid next to the baby in comfort, and looked at her mistress and Maggie with worry.

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It was many hours later until the storm was over.

Unsure of what fully happened, the Walkers eventually disappeared from the door. Everyone looked to Kagome and the demons who shook their heads just as confused.

Instead of questioning it, everyone took their disappearance as a blessing and went to sleep. Even Sesshōmaru, who rarely ever slept, decided to close his eyes for a few hours.

Daryl woke up around sunrise and decided to take watch again.

Maggie was the next one to wake up, and went over to sit next to him, "I never thanked you for getting my sister out of the prison."

The hunter shrugged, "She's family."

The brunet smiled at him, "Still...Thank you."

"She's tough," he told her, "She didn't realize it at the time...But she is." Before Maggie could reply, Daryl reached over and handed her the music box. He fiddled with it after he woke up this morning, "The gearbox had some grit in it."

"Thank you," she said accepting the box, "You should get some more rest. I'll keep watch."

Daryl nodded and went back to lay next to Kagome. He couldn't help but smile when she turned over in her sleep towards him and wrapped her arm around him. He brushed his fingers over hers as he watched her.

Enjoying the moment.

 **I'm getting so close to the next story arc. I'm so excited! As you can see I've already hinted to my own little spin for Alexandria. Anyway, what do you think? Next time: Meet Aaron and a new community.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


	33. A Chance Worth Taking

**Arrows and Scars**

 **Hey everyone! I'm so glad everyone liked my last chapter. I'm a little nervous about these future chapters, especially when Negan comes into the story. But I know I have your support: ladybug213, Elfy Lolita, The Blue Insanity 8500, Guest (1), KawaiiKittyHigh, Guest (2), Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Altiria-Aty, Tsukikageshi, 12345678910 (Guest), 95, ErisVodiax, MOONWOLF1234,** **NicoleR85, Lissssssa (Guest), animecutylover, 3sorey, KaijuBoy455, Lirynn, midnightstorm111, AgentHuntress, Fairy Flame Key, poseidon94, naruko1000,** **Lorde127,** **Nyac Silver Fang, YukinaBlueRose, Spongecake0147, and bloodmoon25**

Disclaimer: Mommy do I have to? *insert my mother pointing to the computer screen* *insert me sighing before writing* I don't own Inuyasha or The Walking Dead. Happy now? *insert my mother's nod of approval before walking away causing me to pout* I never get nothing I want.

Chapter Thirty Three: A Chance Worth Taking

An hour later, everyone had woken up and began preparing for their journey to Washington.

Each family member was either checking supplies or reloading their weapons. Kilala was near Judith, who was sitting on the floor being entertained by the demon cat while the others were busy.

It was around that time when Maggie and Sasha returned, since they left to see what had happened outside during the storm last night.

No one expected them to return with something new they found.

More specifically, someone new.

"Everyone," Maggie got everyone's attention inside, as she tried to prepare them for who they found. Sasha stood behind the man just to make sure he didn't try anything funny. "This is Aaron," the brunet introduced.

Any human with an armed weapon aimed their guns at the new comer. The others remained wary of the stranger who looked very clean and healthy in a world of the undead. Daryl immediately went outside to check to see if there were signs of an ambush waiting to surround them.

The demons and priestess however, had other concerns. All four of them looked at one another for confirmation of what they were feeling from this man.

" **Anything?"** Sesshōmaru asked the demons in a low voice only those of demonic hearing could pick up.

Both Shippo and Kilala shook their heads no.

The demon lord glanced to the priestess, who shrugged just as baffled.

They couldn't sense Aaron's presence.

'How is he doing that?' the priestess wondered in a slight worry, since the only way this was possible if this man was involved in the supernatural.

"He's alone," Maggie assured the group, "We took his weapons and his gear."

Daryl searched the man just to be thorough.

Aaron looked around the room of cautioned people, "Hi," he greeted nervously but politely.

Rick had picked up Judith before Aaron entered the barn, who was beginning to cry from the obvious tension in the room. Carl went over and grabbed his sister as Souta and Sophia stood in front of him to protect the baby from the stranger's view.

"It's nice to meet you," Aaron said politely as he went to shake Rick's hand only to have everyone aim their weapons at him once more. With his arm finally extended, something on the man's wrist caught Kagome's attention.

Her eyes widened at the sight, 'Is that what I think it is?' the priestess thought in slight wonder.

"You said he had a weapon," Rick asked Maggie. The brunet went over and handed what she found on Aaron's person.

A small pistol that wasn't much for defense against a group of people, but enough to kill a few Walkers.

Rick put the weapon behind his back and glanced over at Kagome to see if Aaron was trust worthy. The priestess gave the same reply she gave to Sesshōmaru which confused Rick and made him even more wary. "There something you need?" he asked Aaron.

"He has a camp nearby," Sasha answered for him, "He wants us to audition for membership."

Even Sesshōmaru raised a brow at the offer.

"I wish there was another word," Aaron admitted to them, "Audition makes it sound like were some kind of dance troupe...That's only on Friday nights." No one laughed or commented on the man's supposed joke. "And uhh, it's not a camp...It's a community. I think you all would make valuable additions. But that's not my call. My job is to convince you to follow me back home."

The three teenagers looked at one another at the man's offer. They couldn't tell if Aaron was lying or telling the truth. 'If he's telling the truth then he's an idiot,' they all thought together of the man who was willing giving away his group's location.

"I know," Aaron said after looking at the distrust in a majority of everyone's faces. "If I were you, I wouldn't go either. Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into." He turned his head to the side, "Sasha could you hand Rick my pack," he asked her politely. "In the front pocket there's an envelope." He would have gone to do it himself, but Aaron didn't want to push the boundaries of what little trust he had with this group. 'We need them,' he told himself.

Since Rick was browsing the pictures along with Michonne and Glenn, Kagome used that opportunity to step closer to Aaron and get a good look at what she saw earlier. "Where did you get that?" she asked him, grabbing Daryl's attention after he came into the barn.

Aaron looked at her confused, "I'm sorry?"

The priestess pointed to the beads on his wrist, "That."

Aaron looked at the green beaded trinket and smiled, "Oh this. A boy in our community made this for me. He said it would save me from the monsters...You know, the dead."

Kagome looked over at Sesshōmaru, Shippo, and Kilala as realization filled their eyes.

Meanwhile, Rick was looking through the pictures that Aaron took of his home.

"Umm, I knew there was no way you'd come with me just by talking about my community," Aaron returned to the matter at hand. "That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality. We just found an old camera store."

"Nobody gives a shit," the hunter snarled interrupting the man.

"Daryl," Kagome cautioned him to mind what he says.

Even if she couldn't sense Aaron's soul at the moment, the priestess could tell he was trust worthy. 'Otherwise that bracelet of his wouldn't work out so well for him,' she figured.

"It's okay," Aaron told her, "He's one hundred percent right."

The first picture Rick was looking at was of steel walls being stood up by wooden beams.

"I wanted you to see that picture first because I know that nothing I say about our community will matter unless you know you'll be safe," Aaron gestured to the photograph. "If you join us you will be. Each panel in that wall fifteen foot high and twelve foot wide slab of solid steel framed by cold-rolled steel beams and square tubing. Nothing alive or dead goes through that without our say-so."

Shippo snorted only to be elbowed in his side by Beth.

"Like I said," Aaron continued, "Security is obviously important. In fact there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival...The people. Together we're strong...You can make us even stronger."

Aaron kept talking thinking that he was getting through to them.

Only to have Rick walk up to him and punch him in the face, knocking him out cold.

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"You didn't have to hit him that hard," Kagome scolded Rick a few minutes later as she inspected the man's face for injuries along with Maggie. Daryl began to tie the man up as a precaution. The others began to look and make sure they weren't being surrounded. The teens emptied Aaron's bag to see if he was hiding anything else.

All they found that was suspicious was a flare gun.

"Never mind that," Rick brushed off the comment, "Now what was this talk about not being able to sense him."

Shippo rolled his eyes, "It's like we said. We couldn't see or hear or even feel his presence. At least not from a distance. Now that he's here we can see and hear him...But we can't feel him."

"How's that even possible?" Glenn asked them.

Kagome took the bracelet off the man's wrist, and showed it to her family. "With this...They're sacred beads. Priests and monks used these to hide themselves from demonic and sometimes even holy senses for protection."

"He acted like he didn't know what it was," Maggie pointed out to them.

"I don't think he fully does," Kagome replied, "If he even suspected that there was a demon in our group he wouldn't have shown it to us."

Michonne stepped forward, "He said a boy gave it to him...Could he have been telling the truth?"

"Possibly," Sesshōmaru talked for the first time, "Those beads barley fulfilled their purpose. The three of us," he gestured to the demons in the room, "Shouldn't have been able to see this human at all, even when he's standing in the barn with us. The miko shouldn't have been able to sense him either. Whoever made those beads were...inexperienced."

Before anyone could comment on what to make of that, Aaron finally began to wake up. Kagome quickly put the bracelet in her pocket in order to get a better read on the man.

"You have one hell of a right cross, Rick," Aaron commented.

Rick glared at the man, "Sit him up."

"I don't think," Maggie tried to defend Aaron, knowing that he would have hurt them back in the woods if he was dangerous.

"It's okay," Aaron said in understanding.

"Sit him up," Rick ordered again.

Both Maggie and Kagome helped the man sit up.

"You're being cautious," Aaron stated, "I completely understand."

"How many of your people are out there," Rick demanded to know. "You have a flare gun. You have it to signal your people...How many of them are there?"

Aaron shook his head, "Does it matter?"

"Yes it does," Rick replied simply.

"Of course," Aaron nodded, "It matters how many people are actually out there...But it doesn't matter how many people I tell you are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say: eight, thirty two, four hundred forty four...zero. No matter what I say, you're not going to trust me."

"He's got a point," Souta whispered to his friends.

"It's hard to trust anyone who smiles after being punched in the face," Rick pointed out.

"That's also a good point," Sophia whispered to the boys.

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you on the road," Aaron retorted back.

Carl shrugged to his friends, "They've both got points."

Daryl glared at Aaron in suspicion, "How long have you people been following us?"

"Long enough to see that you practically ignore a pack of Roamers on your trail," Aaron replied, looking at their group in admiration. "Long enough to see that despite the lack of food and water, you never turned on each other...You're survivors and you're people. Like I said, and I hope you won't punch me for saying it again, that is the most important resource in the world.

Rick glanced over at Kagome, knowing she could get a clear read on him now.

She nodded yes to Aaron speaking the truth, along with another nod from Sesshōmaru as well to confirm it.

That answered that question.

But the fact still remained.

"How many other people are out there?" Rick questioned for the third time.

Aaron didn't hesitate to answer this time, "One."

Again they signaled to Rick that Aaron was telling the truth.

"If it's not words, if it's not pictures, what would it take to convince you that this is for real?" Aaron asked these people.

"What you've been leaving out in your observations of us," Shippo voiced, gesturing to himself, Kilala and Sesshōmaru.

If Aaron had been watching them for as long as he says he'd been, then that meant he'd seen Kilala transform, Sesshōmaru show his red eyes and had seen him use his fox fire.

Aaron avoided eye contact from everyone.

Kagome touched Aaron's shoulder to get him to look at her, "That boy you mentioned...He's not human is he?" she asked him. It was the only explanation of how the beads could have weak power.

That's when Aaron's eyes began to panic, "You need to understand. The community doesn't know about what he...what he really is...I found him after his father had been bit by a Roamer and he begged me to take his son to a place he'd be safe. He said his mother wasn't human and I've seen firsthand that the boy isn't either...But he's just a child. Only five years old. And he looks normal enough."

Sesshōmaru almost made a face in realization, "Hanyou."

Kagome glared at the demon lord at the term. However, if the child was young and a half demon, then the bracelet not being that powerful made a lot of sense. "He must care about you a lot if he made that bracelet for you," the priestess commented.

"The community looks out for him, but he stays with me and the other person out there waiting for me," Aaron explained to them, "We're the only two that know about what he truly is. Believe me your secret will be safe with us...What if I drove you to the community? All of you. We leave now, we'll be there by lunch."

Rick looked around, "I'm not sure how the twenty of us are going to fit you and your friend drove down here in."

"We drove separately," Aaron interrupted, "If we found a group, we wanted to be able to bring them all home. There's enough room for all of us."

"And you're parked just a couple of miles away, right?" Carol figured that'd be his line.

"East on Ridge Road just as you hit Route 16," Aaron confirmed, "We wanted to get them closer but the storm came, blocked the road. We couldn't clear it."

The leader of the group nodded, "Yeah...You really thought this through."

"He's been telling the truth," Kagome told Rick, "He hasn't told us one lie since I took the bracelet off of him."

When Rick didn't reply, Michonne finally intervened, "I'll check out the cars."

"There aren't any cars," Rick told her in disbelief. He knew he was being harsh, but his family have been through this time and again, and it never turned out alright.

"There's only one way to find out," she replied him.

"We don't need to find out," he told her sternly.

"We do," she countered just as harshly. "You know what you know and you're sure of it, but I'm not."

Kilala jumped on her mistress's shoulder and gave a sharp nod to show where she stood.

"Me neither," Maggie gave her opinion.

Beth nodded, "If Kagome and Maggie believe him, then I do too."

"And I stand by my mate," Shippo told Rick.

The leader looked at all who trusted Aaron, "Your way is dangerous, mine isn't."

"Don't be so sure," said Sesshōmaru to Rick in warning.

"Passing up someplace we can live? Where Judith can live? That's pretty dangerous," Michonne voiced the demon lord's point. "We need to find out what this is...We can handle ourselves. So that's what we're gonna do."

Glenn nodded, "Then I will, too. I'll go."

Rick let out a breath of frustration but knew he was out numbered.

He'd let everyone have their way, but he was going to play it smart.

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After sun down, when they discovered the car and RV Aaron had talked about, Rick told the group that they'd take Route twenty three to the community Aaron talked about.

Aaron insisted that they take Route Sixteen since he knew it was clear but Rick had insisted.

Rick, Glenn, Michonne and Kilala would ride the car with Aaron while the others followed in the RV.

Kagome sat on a chair next to Daryl behind the passenger seat of the RV while Abraham drove the RV with Rosita up front. The teens were sitting at the eating table while Carl held Judith in his lap. Everyone else was scattered around the RV.

"Was he really telling the truth?" Carl asked Kagome.

The priestess smiled and looked at the young Grimes, "Yes."

"How long can we stay with the group for?" Sophia asked next.

Some of the adults looked at one another, not sure what the blonde meant by that.

"We'll stay as long as we have to, sweetie," Carol promised her daughter from her spot on the couch.

"But then what?" Souta asked the adults, "We never stay anywhere too long, right? Otherwise something terrible will happen."

Kagome's eyes widened at her brothers words as Carl and Sophia nodded in agreement, 'Is that what they truly believe?' She looked to the hunter for help, but he looked just as baffled as she was.

"OH SHIT!" Abraham cursed as the car he was following began to swerve.

A herd of Walkers were in the road.

The red headed army man tried to avoid the dead or else risk damaging the vehicle.

Everyone tried to hang on to what they could inside the RV, as Abraham maneuvered the vehicle quickly and without warning. A few dramatic turns later, Abraham finally got them out of harm's way and stopped the RV.

"Where are they?" Rosita asked him, not knowing where Rick's group went.

Shippo opened the door of the RV and looked around, "I don't see them."

Maggie looked over to Kagome, "Can you find them?"

The priestess closed her eyes and tried to locate the rest of her family. They must have gone farther than they did since she couldn't feel them right away.

"Hold on," Kagome muttered under her breath.

The hunter touched her shoulder, "What is it?"

"Someone else is out there...They're in trouble," she answered him.

"Are you sure?" Daryl asked her.

Not a second later, a flare shot up into the sky.

"Let me guess. Over in that direction," Abraham asked her.

Kagome nodded yes.

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After their detour and finding shelter, Daryl stood outside of the building they'd found labeled the store room with Shippo. Both of them were standing guard for Walkers and the rest of their people. The hunter was whistling so that Rick and the others would hear him even though Kilala would most likely sniff them out.

"Admit it...You hate it when she's right," Shippo asked the hunter.

Daryl stopped whistling and snorted, "Most of the time."

A minute later Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Kilala, and Aaron went down the alley way of where they were hiding.

The hunter banged on the door to inform the others that they found them.

Maggie and Carl ran out to hug Glenn and Rick.

"Eric?" Aaron called out as he went inside the building, "Eric?!"

"He's in the back," Daryl told him.

Aaron nodded in appreciation before running to the back of the store room.

What he saw almost made his heart stop.

Kagome turned her head and smiled at Aaron's concerned expression, "He'll be alright."

Eric nodded from his spot on the floor as Beth wrapped his ankle with bandages. His leg had been elevated in ordered to reduce any swelling of his now sprained ankle. "It's like a volleyball injury," he explained to his partner, "At least that's what these two and Maggie say...I like them."

Aaron looked at Eric as if he was about to cry.

"It's not a big deal," Eric assured him.

Aaron had been so scared when he saw the flare go up in the sky.

He and Eric only used the flares for absolute emergencies.

When he saw it, he feared the worst.

Kagome and Beth immediately recognized the look Aaron was giving Eric.

The look of relief when you see your true love safe and sound.

"We'll give you two some privacy," Kagome told them as she and Beth stood up to walk way.

"Make sure to keep his ankle still," Beth told Aaron as they walked away.

When Kagome and Beth returned to the group, the hunter went to his priestess, "So they're," Daryl began to say.

"Yep," Kagome told him, "They're a couple...It's probably why Aaron didn't say anything about the partner he had. You know how judgmental people can be."

The hunter nodded, knowing that truth more than anyone.

"I bet it's why they're protective of the half demon child they found too," the priestess figured.

Daryl looked at her knowingly, "You want to see him don't you?"

Kagome sighed making the hunter raise a brow, "I would like to, but...He'll know I have the power to hurt him...I won't traumatize a child like that."

Before the hunter could comment, Aaron stepped and caught their attention, "Excuse me, everyone...Thank you...You saved Eric. I owe you...All of you. And I will make sure that debt is paid in full when we get to our community...When we get to Alexandria."

The women smiled at the name, knowing that Aaron was now trusting them.

"Now, I'm not sure about all of you, but I'd rather not be doing anymore driving tonight," Aaron told them. "Maybe we can hit the road tomorrow morning," he asked them.

"That sounds fine," Rick assured him.

"I will stand guard for the night," Sesshōmaru informed the humans before stepping outside.

Rick nodded in appreciation before looking back to Aaron, "If we're staying for the night, you're sleeping over there," he said while pointing to the corner of the room."

Kagome shook her head, "That's not going to happen," she said under breath. Daryl looked down at her confused. "Would you stay away if it was me in there," she asked him rhetorically.

The hunter still answered in a whisper, "Never."

The priestess was proven right when Aaron stood up to Rick for the first time today, "The only way you're going to stop me from being with him is to shoot me."

Kagome gave her angel an 'I told you so' look, as Rick allowed Aaron to stay with Eric.

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After the sun was out for an hour, they continued their journey.

The rest of the drive to Alexandria was a slow but steady one. They only ran into one problem when the RV had a dead battery. But thanks to being mentored by Dale, Glenn knew where the spare was kept.

A few hours later, the group drove up to the gates of Alexandria.

They actually smiled when they heard people and even laugher coming from the other side of the wall.

That's when they knew that things were going to be different here.

Aaron helped Eric walk up to the gates, since it was important for them to be the first to approach and introduce the new people coming into their community.

Aaron and Eric went behind the gates while the group waited outside.

While they stood there, a trash can that stood nearby rattled and tipped over. Everyone pulled out their guns, but Daryl already shot at the disturbance with his crossbow. Kagome couldn't help but smirk when her angel picked up the now dead possum by the tail.

The man who was guarding the gate looked at the group with surprised eyes.

"We brought dinner," Daryl told him.

The man, Nicholas, didn't know what to say but Aaron assured him that everything was okay.

Right when the group stepped into the gate, Nicholas looked at everyone with authority. "Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn over your weapons."

Everyone looked at Nicholas with a raised brow.

"You stay. You hand them over," he told them sternly.

Rick stepped forward, even with Judith in his arms, he was still threatening, "We don't know if we want to stay."

Aaron kept the peace, "It's fine Nicholas."

"If we were going to use'em we'd have already started," Rick pointed out to Nicholas.

Kagome shook her head, 'This is already going off to a great start,' she thought sarcastically

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Before things could continue the woman who was in charge of Alexandria, Deanna Monroe, wanted to meet with every member of the group individually in order to get a better idea of what to expect from them.

When it was the priestess's turn to enter Deanna's office, she did her best not to feel like she was being interrogated.

Kagome was looking from Deanna to the camera that stood on a tripod in front of her, "Do you really have to film this?" she asked the woman.

"It'll help me remember things better that's all," Deanna assured her. "So tell me a little about yourself Kagome." The priestess wasn't sure what the woman wanted to know and didn't answer right away. "How about where you're from and what you were doing before," Deanna suggested.

Kagome hadn't thought about her old life in a long time. It felt odd to talk about it again, especially to a stranger. But she did her best to tell her story, editing the part about her past in the Feudal Era.

Deanna was sympathetic when she heard Kagome's mother's death. She wouldn't know how to deal with such a tragic loss. "Sound like your group has been through a lot," Deanna commented.

"My family," Kagome corrected her.

Deanna nodded respectfully, since Rick said something similar to her, "Well, Alexandria could use your family's help."

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Souta sat at the chair and looked at the woman, trying to act tough when he was honestly was a nervous wreck.

"Kagome told me a little bit about what you've both been through," Deanna spoke to him. "I'm sorry what happened to your mother."

The young Higurashi nodded, "Sometimes I wish we could go back to her grave...And tell her what I've been up to."

The woman gave a sympathetic smile, "I wish there was something I could do to help you with that."

Souta shrugged before he leaned forward in his chair, "Did my sister tell you she killed our mother when she became a Walker?"

Deanna raised a brow, "She did...She also said that she didn't want you to know about that."

He shook his head, "I'm not stupid...But...My sister has gone through hell to try and keep me safe. And everybody else she cares about...You let us in, and she cares about all of you, then Kagome will do the same thing for Alexandria.

Deanna smiled at his statement.

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"You were trapped in a hospital?" Deanna asked the blonde woman in surprise.

Beth nodded, "Yes...I did learn a few things from the doctor there but I won't ever be as good as my father was."

"We have a doctor here you can study under," Deanna told her, "If you'd like to continue."

Beth shook her head, "Thank you...But after Grady I think I'd like to stay away from medicine for a while. My main job before we were separated was taking care of Judith. That's what I plan to do now."

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"If that's what she wants, I'm not going to stop her," Shippo told Deanna when it was his turn to be interviewed.

"But she doesn't realize how rare it is to find someone with any knowledge on medicine," she tried to defend her reasons. "We're already blessed with Kagome's arrival but another person would be very beneficial."

Shippo shook his head, "My wife has made up her mind. And what's so wrong about wanting to take care of a baby. If things go like you say they are and everyone has jobs, why not let her take care of the younger children while the adults are working. It's what she loves and she's damn good at it."

Deanna made a stone face, "And what about you? What is it that you want to do?"

Shippo shrugged, "You give me a job, and I'll do it to your satisfaction. You'll be amazed of how many skills I've learned in my life time."

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"Your mother and you were very lucky to have such a large group looking after you," Deanna told the little blonde in front of her. "I can't imagine how scary that was for you."

It took every bit of will power that Sophia had not to roll her eyes at this lady.

Her mother had given her a brief explanation of her odd behavior since they arrived at Alexandria.

"Yes, we're very lucky," Sophia played along to her mother's plot.

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Deanna stared at Sesshōmaru who stood in front of her with an incredible expression.

The woman couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about this man that made her not want to cross him.

"I understand what you're telling me...But we all have jobs to do here," Deanna tried to explain for the third time.

"I protect Sophia. That is my task," Sesshōmaru told her for the fourth time. He would have already killed this woman for her inability to listen but Sophia told him that he couldn't.

Deanna nodded to keep herself from getting frustrated, "Then do the same for the others that live here."

The demon lord stood back up, "I do not take orders from you...I will patrol outside the walls to keep the dead out."

Deanna sighed, "That's not necessary...But I'm guessing that's the best offer I'm going to get from you."

Instead of answering, Sesshōmaru simply left the room.

Even after all that, Deanna couldn't help but shake her head nervously.

Her community needed people who lived out there since the beginning.

Aaron trusted them, and she trusted his judgment.

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Checking in the guns was a bit of a struggle for some of the group.

Michonne and Sesshōmaru were allowed to keep their swords and Kagome and Daryl were able to keep their bow and crossbow, but that was as far as she was willing to allow.

Deanna was actually a little surprised on how many guns the group possessed, including the children.

Carol, for some reason that the others didn't understand, acted like she'd never handled a gun in her life. Struggling to take the strap off of her and laughed a little when she messed up.

Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes at her ever so slightly, 'What are you up to Onna?'

After the weapons were put away, Aaron escorted them to the houses they'd be moving into.

Two of them.

Kagome looked at the houses and couldn't believe how big they were. In fact most of the homes in Alexandria were extravagant. They were also completely furnished, modeled homes most likely, and were ready to be moved into.

Aaron told them that he was four houses down their street and allowed them to explore their new home.

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A few hours later, the priestess had partaken in something she hadn't had in a long time.

A hot shower.

Alexandria had running water.

And even electricity thanks to solar panels.

Kagome spent probably a little longer then she should of in the shower, but she loved every second of the luxury. The priestess was also able to brush her hair to make it shine. When she noticed how long it had gotten, she took some cutting scissors and trimmed it the best she could so it'd look healthier.

Afterwards, Kagome went through a box of clothes that Deanna's people dropped by that would fit them. She ended up wearing forest green long pants with her boots, a white tank top, and a long sleeved black over shirt that she ended up tying in a knot in the front since it was little long.

She walked outside to the porch of the house and found Daryl cleaning the possum he killed when they got here.

He paused in his work when he saw her.

"What?" the priestess asked him.

Daryl just looked at her, speechless for a few moments, "You look...good."

Kagome couldn't help but smile at his nervousness, "The wonders of a shower," she said as she sat next to him. "Need any help?" she asked him referring to the possum.

The hunter shook his head, "Nah I've got it."

Rick walked out of the house a minute later.

Kagome's eyes widened and her blush instantly vanished at the sight of their leader's face, "What happened to you?" she asked him in amusement.

Rick's beard was gone and his hair was cut and groomed. He looked so much younger, almost as the first day she met him.

"What happened to you?" Rick countered to her.

Kagome stuck her tongue out of him in reply.

"Well that was mature," Rick said as he passed by both of them.

Shippo and Beth were inside the house already cleaned up and were entertaining Judith as Rick cleaned up.

Carl, Souta and Sophia walked out to the porch, all cleaned and dressed in new clothes. Sophia looked more mature in clothes that actually fit her which Souta noticed immediately and did his best not to stare, otherwise he'd be permanently blushing.

"Could we look around the other house now?" Souta asked his sister, wanting the distraction.

"Yeah, please," Carl asked his dad.

Rick and Kagome were hesitant but Carol said she'd go with them, and the kids ran to check out the other house.

"We're all sleeping in the same house tonight," Rick told them, since he still felt unsure of the place.

Normally, Kagome would have called on his paranoia but being without of sight of Souta and everyone for such a long time, having her own room again would have felt too odd.

As she was pondering this, a pair of piercing blue eyes was watching the group from a distance.

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Souta, Carl, and Sophia were looking around the second house in amazement.

"They're like mansions," Carl told them.

Sophia nodded, "I bet they could hold four families in this house alone."

"I bet we're still gonna stay in just the one house for a while," Souta guessed.

"You think?" Sophia asked as she opened the closet under stairs and looked inside. "When I was little I used to hide in one of these when I played hide and seek with my mom," she said fondly at the memory.

Souta looked around the living room, "My sister would make forts out of the couch and its cushions," also remembering the good times of living in an actual house.

Carl looked at the kitchen, "I'd help my mom in the kitchen when she cooked...I was the official taste tester."

Before the others could comment, a sudden thud was heard upstairs.

Out of instinct, Carl took the front and turned his back to Sophia and Souta as they formed a circle with their backs pressed together. When they heard the noise again, they slowly broke formation and headed up the stairs. First Carl, then Sophia, then Souta watching their backs.

Only one door was closed upstairs and when they checked inside, it was an unfinished room that held treasures inside. Comics, coloring pads, puzzles, a few band posters pillows, lazily spread around the room. There was also a knotted rope that led outside to the ground from the window.

Anyone who was here was already gone.

This someone's secret club house.

But whose?

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Later that night, everyone pushed out the furniture in the living room and called a spot on the floor. All except for Sesshōmaru, who insisted on remaining on guard on the porch, and Gabriel, since he felt more comfortable sleeping in another room of the house.

Sasha, Abraham and Daryl stuck close to the windows to see outside, keeping watch. Kagome sat near Daryl as she wrote in a journal she found inside the house. So many things had happened recently and she wanted to make sure that she it had all been written down. She had a lot to rewrite thanks to losing her journals in the prison.

Shippo and Beth were snuggled on a couch, with the blonde in the demon's lap as they both read a book together.

Carl, Souta and Sophia were reading comics that they found in the club house.

Everyone else were trying to make up the temporary beds for them to sleep.

"How long was I in there for?" Michonne asked as she exited the bathroom.

"Twenty minutes," Rick answered as he put Judith in her playpen and smirked at what was in Michonne's hand.

A tooth brush.

Michonne smiled as she wiped her mouth, "I couldn't stop brushing my teeth." She took a good look at Rick for the first time since he'd cleaned up. "Wow...I've never seen you're face like that."

Rick walked over to talk to Michonne more quietly.

Kilala lifted her head from her spot near Maggie and shook her head at her mistress.

Kagome smiled and rubbed the cats ears, **"Give them some time...They'll tell each other how they feel eventually,"** she said in Japanese.

A moment later a knock came at the door.

Figuring that no one could actually get past Sesshōmaru, no one really panicked that the person was a threat.

Sure enough, Deanna wanted to come in and see how everyone was doing.

After making a comment about Rick's clean face, Deanna looked at the rest of the group. "Oh my...Staying together," she smiled at the group's devotion to one another, "Smart."

"No one said we couldn't," Rick pointed out to her.

"You said you're a family," Deanna quoted, "That's what you said. Absolutely amazing to me how people with completely different backgrounds and nothing in common can become that. Don't you think?"

Rick nodded, "Everyone says you gave them jobs."

"Mm-hmm, yeah," she confirmed, "Part of this place...Looks like the communist won after all."

The teens looked at one another and shrugged at the unknown term.

"Well you didn't give me one," Rick reminded her.

"I have," Deanna corrected him, "I just haven't told you yet. Same with Michonne. I'm closing in on something for Sasha. And I'm just trying to figure Mr. Dixon out...But I will."

Daryl wasn't all that ecstatic about the woman's tone.

Deanna told everyone good night and left for the evening.

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The next morning, Deanna encouraged Rick's family to explore the community. Almost everyone went their separate ways, except for the teens, and Shippo, Beth and Noah.

Rick looked over at the porch with Daryl and Kagome still sitting on the porch with no intention of moving.

"You both sure," Rick asked them.

"Nah, we'll stay," Daryl told him.

Kagome let out a relaxed sigh as she leaned against the porch rail and looked up and down the street, "This place looks like something from a dream."

"Or an advertisin' poster," Daryl thought more accurately.

Rick looked around the place and thought about a different life, "Lori and me...We used to drive through neighborhoods like this. Thinking 'One day.'"

Kagome gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Well, here we are," Daryl gestured to the place.

Rick nodded, "We'll be back," he told the couple as he went to explore.

Kagome lowered herself so she was sitting near Daryl as he cleaned his crossbow. "If the world was the same, I'd never would have wanted a place like this," she admitted in honesty gesturing to the house.

Daryl raised a brow at her as he was doing his task, "Oh yeah?"

Kagome shook her head, "It's way too big. Give me a small house in the country any day...Next to a lake or pond. Surrounded by trees...Somewhere we could see the stars shine bright every night," she said in a dream like state.

The hunter couldn't help but smile at the thought.

He would have liked that too.

Especially with her.

"As long as it has a shower," Daryl figured, teasing her a little.

The priestess nodded, "Well duh...I wouldn't mind only a tub though."

"Or a quarry," the hunter reminded her.

Kagome lightly blushed at the memory of swimming naked in the quarry a long time ago, "M-maybe...Did you really not look at me that day?" she asked him curiously.

The hunter stopped what he was doing and looked over at his Baby Girl, "I saw a little."

The priestess face brightened, "I knew it," she said teasingly accusing him.

"Stop," he said as he tried to act like he was still cleaning his crossbow.

A rustle in the bushes next to them caught their attention, and caused them both to be on guard as they stood up.

Daryl was just about to point his crossbow and demand that the person showed himself when a tiny head popped out of the shrub.

Kagome couldn't believe her eyes.

'Oh my Kami...It's him,' she thought as she stared at the young half demon boy.

Just like with Aaron the priestess didn't sense the boy at first, since he wore a sacred bracelet. But there was no mistaking that he was part demon with his unique blue shaded colored eyes. It wasn't the only inhuman physical trait that Kagome had noticed either. His ears were slightly pointed up top, but not enough for a normal person to really question the abnormality.

"What are you doin', kid?" Daryl asked the boy.

Before the boy could speak, Aaron approached the house with a relived look on his face. "Jamie, we've been looking for you. Eric and I were worried."

The boy, Jamie, got out of the bushes and looked down to the ground apologetically, "S-sorry."

Aaron gestured for the boy to come to him and looked over to the couple on the porch. "Jamie, these are two of our new neighbors. Daryl and Kagome," he introduced as the half demon stood next to him.

Jamie snickered a little after the priestess was introduced. He was curious about her since she smelt different from other humans, but not in a bad way.

The priestess slowly walked down and kneeled to the boy with a smile, as he hid shyly behind Aaron. "You think my name is funny, huh?" she asked him in amusement. The half demon child nodded a shy yes. "You know, where I used to live, I would have thought your name was funny."

Jamie's eyes widened in denial, "Nuh uh," he told her in disbelief.

"Yeah huh," Kagome teased with the boy, who shook his head and finally smiled.

"Behave yourself," Aaron cautioned him before kneeling down to the boy's level. "Jamie, do you remember what Eric and I talked to you about yesterday. How Kagome and a few of her friends are special...Special like you are."

Jamie looked over at Daryl and could smell that he was plainly human, so he tilted his head questioningly.

The hunter's eyes watched the little boy with a hint of curiosity.

"Can I see?" Kagome asked Jamie for permission to take off his sacred bracelet. The half demon boy was hesitant. His parents made him promise to never take it off, especially in front of demons.

The priestess understand and smiled, "That's okay," she assured him, before putting a finger under her chin in a thinking position. "Mabye I can guess instead," Kagome said as she was pondering. "Are you...part imp?" she took a guess that she knew was wrong. Jamie stuck out his tongue in disgust. Kagome laughed at the action, "No...Hmm...What about a fox like my son?" she took a real guess this time.

That's when she heard it.

The tiniest little growl coming from Jamie's throat.

"Ah ha," the priestess said as she made an 'I got it' motion with her hands, "You're part wolf."

Jamie's eyes widened when she guessed correctly and nodded frequently.

Daryl snorted in mild amusement, "Pony Tail's gonna love that," he said sarcastically.

"I wanted to bring Jamie over last night," Aaron admitted to the two, "But he refused to go near Sesshōmaru."

"That's not surprising," Kagome told Aaron before looking back to Jamie. "We all must be wary of the all mighty Lord Fluffy," she said in mock warning.

Jamie giggled at the priestess nickname for the demon lord. His gaze went back to Daryl and saw what was in the hunter's hand, "What's that?" he asked pointing to the weapon he'd never seen before.

Kagome turned and looked at her angel's weapon, "That's a crossbow. Some people use it when hunting."

Jamie's eyes widened in delight and ran up the porch steps to where Daryl was sitting on. "You hunt?" he asked in obvious excitement. Any shyness the boy seemed to have had suddenly vanished.

Jamie's interest didn't really surprise Kagome, since wolf demons were great hunters. 'He mustn't have had a chance to learn that yet,' she assumed by his behavior.

"Y-Yea'," Daryl asked a little uncomfortably since he's not used to being around children this young.

Especially one that was talking to him.

"There was a possum here wasn't there?" Jamie pointed to the blood stain Daryl had left on the porch when he gutted and cleaned the animal he brought inside the community.

The hunter raised a brow, "You can tell that?"

Jamie nodded, "Papa hunted too. But he wouldn't take me cause I wasn't old enough. Even though Mama said I was," he said with a small pout.

Aaron smiled down at Jamie as he spoke to Daryl. This was the most he'd ever heard Jamie interact with a stranger. When the young half demon was first brought to Alexandria a few months ago, Jamie stayed inside his and Eric's house for the first month. He'd only go outside if he or Eric was with him, and barley spoke to any of the children or adults. Aaron was seriously worried about this and it was for that reason that he was desperate to find someone Jamie could relate too.

'And here they are,' Aaron thought in relief.

"Can you teach me to hunt?" Jamie asked Daryl in eagerness. No one else in Alexandria knew how to properly hunt and he'd been dying to learn.

Daryl was a little taken aback by the request. This kid literally just met him and he acted like they had been friends for a life time. He wanted to protest but the desperate sad look in Jamie's eyes was hard to deny. "Uhh...We'll see," he told him.

"That's enough for now Jamie," Aaron called over, "It's time for you to get to school."

Jamie pouted again, "Do I have to?" he whined.

"Yes," Aaron told him as Jamie walked down to grab his hand.

The half demon wolf looked back over to Kagome, "Can I come and visit you?"

Kagome smiled and rubbed the back of Jamie's ear affectionately. Something all canine demon's loved, "Of course you can."

Jamie smiled at her as he and Aaron walked away.

The priestess waved goodbye to the boy, glad that she was able to meet him and that he wasn't afraid of her. "He's a real cutie," Kagome said as she went to sit next to Daryl again.

That's when she'd noticed he'd been staring at her.

"What?" Kagome asked him with a raised brow.

Daryl shrugged, "Nothin'" he said while fighting the small smile that wanted to appear on his face.

The hunter loved watching Kagome interacting with children.

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Souta, Carl and Sophia followed Ron, a teenager a little older then them, as he gave them a tour of his house.

"We're almost always here after school," Ron informed them, "So feel free to come over anytime."

Carl looked confused, "You go to school?"

Ron nodded, "It's in a garage. Its little kids in the morning, then us in the afternoon. Probably you guys will too, right?"

"My sister would want me to," Souta said in dread.

"My mom will too," Sophia replied but was a little more enthusiastic about it.

Ron nodded as he walked into his room where too other teenagers were hanging out. One was a girl who was reading a comic book on the bed. The other was a boy who was playing a video game on the television.

It was a scene that the trio hadn't seen in a long time.

"Guys, this is Carl, Souta and Sophia," Ron introduced his friends, "That's Mickey and Enid."

Mickey turned and stood up to say hi to the new kids.

Enid didn't stop what she was doing, "Hi."

"Enid's from outside too," Ron told them, as if it was explaining her rudeness. "She came here about eight months ago."

Souta nodded in understanding and noticed how Carl hadn't stopped staring at Enid. The young Higurashi knew his friend was interested in her and shoved him with his elbow to remind him to speak.

Carl glared at his friend for a moment before taking the comic book from his pocket, "Is this yours?" he asked the boys.

Sophia rolled her eyes, 'Does he not see her reading a comic?'

"Sorry," Ron told them, "We didn't know you guys got that house."

"We mostly just hang out up there and listen to music," Mickey explained, "That' Enid's," he pointed to the comic as Enid took it back from Carl.

" **Smooth,"** Souta told his friend in Japanese which Carl retorted by jabbing his elbow into Souta's arm.

Ron looked at the boys, "Want to play some video games? Or Mickey's house has a pool table, but his dad's kind of strict about it."

"It's okay, he's at work," Mickey told him.

Souta and Sophia looked at each other, not really sure what to make of these boys. They're acting like...like regular kids.

Like nothing in the world had changed.

It was refreshing...But it was also very dangerous.

"Umm," Carl tried to answer them, just as wary as his friends.

That's when Enid finally looked at the trio.

"Sorry," Ron apologized, noticing their hesitation, "I guess we came on kind of strong. We can just hang out if you guys want...You don't even have to talk if you don't want to. It took Enid three weeks to say something."

Enid finally spoke up, "Pull it together, Sport," she said before going back to her comic.

Somehow that helped Carl speak up, "Let's umm...play some video games."

Souta shrugged, "Why not," as the boys walked over to play a game.

Meanwhile, Sophia walked over to the bed and sat on the edge facing Enid, "So...How long ago was it?" she asked the girl in a low voice.

Enid glanced over to the blonde with a raised brow, "Was what?"

"That you saw your family die," Sophia explained, "Even adults have the same look in their eyes when they lose someone."

Enid stared at the blonde for a moment before answering, "Eight months."

Sophia nodded as she looked over at the boys playing video games, "When I first met him, Souta didn't talk for months...Not after what happened to his mom...Ron says he understand. But he won't...Not until he spends time out there," she told her. Enid said nothing as she stared at Sophia. After a few minutes of listening to the boys play their game Sophia rolled her eyes, "Want to get out of here?" she asked her in desperation. If Enid was anything like her, and hadn't been here that long, she must hate being in confined spaces and doing meaningless tasks.

Enid didn't hesitate to answer, "Hell yes."

At that moment, the girls knew that they'd be fast friends.

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The next day, Carol walked out of the house and onto the porch.

Kagome and Daryl were in the same spot on the porch as yesterday.

"Wow," the priestess commented on Carol's home maker outfit.

"Time to punch the clock and make the casseroles," she told the couple.

The hunter continued cleaning his crossbow, "What?" he asked the older woman.

"Making dinner for the older people," Carol explained to him. "Moms who need a break and those who can't cook...Get to meet a lot of the neighbors that way."

There was a silence between the couple and their friend.

Daryl finally snorted after he absorbed the information, "Alright."

Carol glared at the hunter, "Have you taken a shower yet?"

The hunter answered with 'mm-hmm,' which made Kagome roll her eyes. "Liar," the priestess accused him.

Carol nodded figuring as much, "Take a shower. And I'm gonna wash that vest."

"Good luck with that," the priestess informed her, "He won't even let me do it."

"We all have to keep up appearances," Carol explained before turning back to Daryl, "Even you." She turned back to Kagome, "Are you starting work today?"

The priestess nodded, "Deanna wants me to make a community garden and help them grow medicinal herbs. I got to make it first before I can plant anything though."

"Well let's go," she told her, gesturing for the Asian woman to follow her. Kagome kissed Daryl good bye before leaving with Carol. "I'm gonna hose you down in your sleep," the older woman threatened the hunter.

"You look ridiculous," Daryl countered.

"You two behave yourselves," Kagome told the both of them. As the women walked the priestess finally had to ask, "What exactly are you doing?" she gestured to Carol's appearance and behavior.

"Blending in," Carol told her, "No one will question me this way. Easy to sneak around and learn about the people here...I'm invisible here."

Kagome nodded, "Smart...A little bad ass even."

"And don't you forget it," she told her, making the women laugh.

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Later that night, Rick was finally given his job in the community.

A Constable

Michonne was going to be one too.

As they all sat in the house, Glenn informed them what had happened out on their run with Aiden and his friend. They kept a Walker around because it killed their friend and played around with it before each run. It had gotten loose and almost gotten Tara, if it hadn't been for him and Noah.

Kagome thought the whole thing was barbaric for people who claim to be wanting to rebuild society.

The priestess walked back outside, where Daryl was sneaking a cigarette on the porch. She couldn't help but shake her head at his foolish attempt to hide it from her. Instead of getting on to him for smoking, Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck while he instinctively wrapped his around her waist. "Not today, and probably not tomorrow or the day after, but one day, you're going to have to get off this porch."

The hunter sighed, "I know," he admitted.

That's when Rick came in, dressed in his police officer uniform.

"So you a cop again?" Daryl asked him as he let Kagome turn around in his arms to look at Rick.

"I'm trying it on for size," he replied.

Carol snuck out of the house to hear what was going on.

Sesshōmaru appeared on the porch a moment later with his inhuman speed. He did this often enough that it didn't surprise any of them anymore.

"Well?" Rick asked the demon lord.

"These humans are genuine," Sesshōmaru informed him, "But they're weak."

Rick nodded, "Carl and Souta said the same thing when I talked to them."

"So, we're staying?" Carol asked them.

"I think we can start staying in our own homes. Settle in," Rick informed them.

Kagome's eyes widened, "You're that sure?"

Rick nodded yes.

Carol was a little nervous by this, "If we get comfortable here, we let our guard down...This place is going to make us weak"

"I'd never allow that, Onna," Sesshōmaru stated to her. "You've proven that we can be settled and still remain strong."

"He's right," Rick told them, "It's not gonna happen...We won't get weak...That's not in us anymore. We'll make it work...And if they can't make it," he said while gesturing to Alexandria before turning back to them, "Then we'll just take this place."

 **And cut. That was a long one, but it needed to be for many reasons. For those who are curious, Yes I've had planned to have Jamie for my story from the very beginning. And honestly I can't picture Daryl interact with any other kind of demon child better than a wolf. Or at least part of one. So, tell me what you think? Next time: Suspicions and feelings are high...Oh my.**

 **Till Then My Readers**


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